Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The United Nations designates International Years to raise global awareness about specific issues, crops, or resources critical to global food security and sustainable development.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Millets are a group of small-seeded, highly climate-resilient grasses grown as cereal crops.
They require minimal water, can tolerate poor soils, and are highly nutritious, containing rich amounts of fiber, minerals, and proteins.
Recognizing their potential to address global food insecurity and climate change challenges, the Government of India proposed declaring an International Year of Millets.
The proposal was supported by 72 countries and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in March 2021.
As a result, the UN declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023).
This initiative aimed to promote the production, consumption, and global trade of millets, establishing them as key crops for sustainable agricultural systems.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The country that proposed the International Year of Millets is India, corresponding to option (C).