United Nations Day – 24th October

United Nations Day – 24th October
Brig. K.G. Behl (Retd.)
President, All India Consumer Council,
Uttarakhand
The United Nations has designated 2016 as the “International Year of Pulses”, (IYP 2016) with the following themes:-
A. Food Security, Nutrition, and Innovation,
B. Creating Awareness and Sustainability
C. Market Access
D. Productivity and Environmental Sustainability
Activities in connection to the theme will be held in elementary, secondary, and tertiary schools all over the country. The celebration are usually led by the schools’ respective Social Studies Departments and UN student clubs.
The theme of this year shows that the UN is worried about the food security and nutrition of the people world over. In this connection awareness has to be created about the u se of pulses, there production and sustainability vis-à-vis, the changes in environment taking place which effect their production and availability. Moreover. It has to be linked with the markets which can be accessed to get those and make those available to the public.
As we know there is shortage of pulses in India which leads to the escalation in prices in Market, particularly those which are commonly used. It effects the common man as the things go beyond the purchasing power of poorer sections of the society. Though Govt. of India has managed to import certain pulses from abroad but it is difficult to cope up with the shortages. In addition the middleman makes lots of profits by the time the pulses reach the poor people.
It is learnt that the Govt. of India is trying to get those pulses which are in short supply grow in those countries so that the surplus thus created could be imported and supplied to Indian markets to cope up with the shortages so that the costs are kept within the reasonable limits without causing any escalation.
The change in environment due to change in weather is bringing lot of changes in the production of those places. Normally the habits of eating of people are dependent upon the terrain and climatic condition. But keeping in mind the changes coming up people have been advised to grow agricultural products particularly pulses and change their habits as per the availability of those items of food which can be grown as alternative. We must change our food habits so that even in case of shortages we can manage without those items which are in short supply.
United Nation’s Day is celebrated on 24th October, every year throughout the World to make people aware of the aims and achievements of the organizations. On this occasion meetings, discussions and exhibits about the achievements and goals of the organizations are held where its activities are highlighted. United Nations works under its various organizations through which it takes up different projects and issues which come before it and tries to help different nations in different fields.