Two kgs of Ragi for Nilgiris and Dharmapuri ration card holders

The Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) initiative was launched on April 28, 2023, at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Chennai to promote Millets and Backyard Kitchen Gardens among students, farmers, and Biodiversity Management Committee Members. Thiru R Sakkarapani, Hon'ble Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection and Price Control, Government of Tamil Nadu, inaugurated the LiFE initiative and emphasized the government's efforts to ensure food and nutritional security. The Government will introduce two kgs of finger millet (Ragi) in the Public Distribution System (PDS) from May 2023, to all ration card holders in Nilgiris and Dharmapuri districts. The government will also plan to include at least one millet-based meal per week in ICDS, mid-day meal, and breakfast schemes. Shri Achalender Reddy IFS (Retd), Chairperson – National Biodiversity Authority, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India, spoke about the nutritional value of millets and highlighted the importance of biological conservation to protect food species, especially millets. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson MSSRF, emphasized the need for balanced diets and awareness programs on food and nutrition to combat undernutrition, obesity, and non-communicable diseases. Other delegates who spoke on the occasion were Dr J Radhakrishnan, Dr B Balaji IFS, and Dr Shekar Kumar Niraj IFS.