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Which one of the following is categorised as millet ?
Explanation
Millets are a group of small-seeded, hardy grasses grown as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. According to official classifications, millets are categorized into major and minor millets based on seed size and cultivation extent [c1, t4]. Sorghum, popularly known as Jowar in India, is explicitly classified as a major millet alongside pearl millet (bajra) and finger millet (ragi) [c1, c5, t3]. While wheat, rice, and maize are also members of the grass family and are classified as cereals, they are distinct from the millet category [c2, t10]. Maize is specifically identified as a cereal grain that is more moisture-dependent than millets like sorghum [t5]. Sorghum is highly drought-tolerant and is often referred to as a 'nutri-cereal' due to its high nutritional value [c1, t3].
Sources
- [1] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: Major Crops and Cropping Patterns in India > Millets /Jowar (Sorghum bicolor) > p. 26
- [2] NCERT. (2022). Contemporary India II: Textbook in Geography for Class X (Revised ed.). NCERT. > Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation > Major Crops > p. 83
- [3] https://www.fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Guidance_Notes_Version_2_Millets_29_01_2020.pdf
- [4] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 25: Agriculture > 25.2.3. Agronomic Classification of Crops: Cereals > p. 353
- [5] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12188307/
- [6] https://www.fao.org/4/w1808e/w1808e0k.htm