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Abstract In this modern world, climate change adversely affects global food security and India is not out of it. India is now going to be the most populous country in the world and a growing population means an ever-increasing demand for safe and healthy food. Cultivation of millets can help us in this aspect as they are nutrient-dense and capable of resisting a variety of harsh environmental conditions, including lack of moisture. Millets are coarse grains that have been traditionally grown and consumed in the Indian subcontinent for about 5000 years. Although they are tagged as “poor man's food grains” regular consumption of millets can help in maintaining the good health of individuals as they are packed with several essential micronutrients like phosphorous, fiber, protein, potassium, manganese, antioxidants, polyphenols, flavonoids etc. Millets have numerous health benefits, including helping to balance our blood glucose levels, keeping our heart in good condition, aiding in weight loss, battling cancer cells, promoting digestion, giving stronger bones, strengthening our cardiovascular system, and acting as an agent for anti-aging. This review work has described the promising potential of millets as the staple of our plate. Graphical abstract

In this modern era, pollution of water resources due to industrial waste effluents is an alarming problem as it can cause various health problems in aquatic animals as well as in humans. Among the industrial pollutants, organic dyes are one of the leading chemicals that cause severe damage to the aquatic environment. These harmful organic dyes are practically omnipresent in various types of industries such as textile, tannery, cosmetic, food industries, etc. Photodegradation of these organic dyes is regarded as a promising technology for industrial waste treatment as it is a cost-effective and environment-friendly process. In this study, a nanostructured material of iron has been synthesized using the Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br. extract in an easy and eco-friendly way. The potential of this synthesized nanostructured material to act as a photocatalyst, for the degradation of organic dyes, has been explored. Due to its small size and high dispersion, more than 72 % degradation has been achieved within 90 min. A comparative study of its photocatalytic efficiency in different degradation processes has also been performed.