• IFAD is a specialized agency of the United Nations and was one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference.
• Founded in 1977, IFAD focuses on rural poverty reduction, working with poor rural populations in developing countries to eliminate poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. Beginning:
  • The project was started with 1,497 women-farmers from 40 villages – mostly from the Gonda and Baiga tribes –growing these two minor millets (Kodo and Kutki) on 749 acres.

• • Seed and Training:
    • The identified farmers were supplied good-quality seeds and trained by scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University in Jabalpur and the local Krishi Vigyan Kendra – on field preparation, line-sowing (as opposed to conventional broadcasting by hand) and application of compost, zinc, bavistin fungicide and other specific plant protection chemicals.
  • Self Help Groups:
    • A federation of the farmers’ self-help groups undertook procurement of the produce and also its mechanical de-hulling (the traditional manual pounding process to remove husk from the grain was time-consuming).
• Impact:
  • Helped in increasing the number of farmers growing kodo-kutki in the project area to 14,301 in 2019-20.
  • Helped in increasing the acreage to 14,876 acres.
  • Helped in meeting nutritional goals (fighting malnourishment among children).
  • Helped in reviving millet cultivation (crop yields are 1.5-2 times higher than before).

• Millets in India:
  • The three major millet crops currently grown in India are jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet) and ragi (finger millet).
    • Along with that, India grows a rich array of bio-genetically diverse and indigenous varieties of “small millets” like kodo, kutki, chenna and sanwa.
  • Major producers include Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
• Need for Reviving Millet Cultivation:
  • Nutritional Security:
    • Millets are less expensive and nutritionally superior to wheat & rice owing to their high protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals like iron content.
    • Millets are also rich in calcium and magnesium.
      • For example, Ragi is known to have the highest calcium content among all the food grains.
    • Its high iron content can fight high prevalence of anaemia in Indian women of reproductive age and infants.
  • Climate Resilient:
    • They are also harder and drought-resistant crops, which has to do with their short growing season (70-100 days, as against 120-150 days for paddy/wheat) and lower water requirement (350-500 mm versus 600-1,200 mm).
  • Economic Security:
    • As low investment is needed for production of millets, these can prove to be a sustainable income source for farmers.
  • Can Tackle Health Issues:
    • Millets can help tackle lifestyle problems and health challenges such as obesity and diabetes as they are gluten-free and have a low glycemic index (a relative ranking of carbohydrates in foods according to how they affect blood glucose levels).
      • Millets are rich in antioxidants.
• Challenges:
  • Preference for Wheat:
    • Wheat has gluten proteins that swell and form networks on adding water to the flour, making the dough more cohesive and elastic.
      • The resultant chapattis come out soft, which isn’t possible with millets that are gluten-free.
  • Increased Demand for Processed Food:
    • India has seen a jump in consumer demand for ultra-processed and ready-to-eat products, which are high in sodium, sugar, trans-fats and even some carcinogens.
    • With the intense marketing of processed foods, even the rural population started perceiving mill-processed rice and wheat as more aspirational.
  • National Food Security Act Promoting Other Grains:
    • In rural India, the National Food Security Act of 2013 entitles three-fourths of all households to 5 kg of wheat or rice per person per month at Rs 2 and Rs 3 per kg, respectively, thus reducing the demand for millets.
• Indian Initiatives:
  • Promoting Millets:
    • The Union Agriculture Ministry, in April 2018, declared millets as “Nutri-Cereals”, considering their “high nutritive value” and also “anti-diabetic properties”.
    • 2018 was also observed as ‘National Year of Millets”.
  • Increase in MSP:
    • The government has hiked the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Millets, which came as a big price incentive for farmers.
    • Further, to provide a steady market for the produce, the government has included millets in the public distribution system.
  • Input Support:
    • The government has introduced provision of seed kits and inputs to farmers, building value chains through Farmer Producer Organisations and supporting the marketability of millets.
  • International Initiative:
    • The United Nation General Assembly adopted an India-sponsored resolution to mark 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

• Farming of millets deserves encouragement especially in view of their climate resilience, short cropping duration and ability to grow on poor soils, hilly terrains and with little rain.
• Because of their accessibility to the poor, they can play an essential role in providing nourishment to people across all income categories and supporting climate adaptation of rainfed farming systems.

China and Iran have signed a 25-year "strategic cooperation pact” which includes "political economic and strategic components".

• The agreement comes amid a major push from China to back Iran to deal with the continuing weight of sanctions reinstated by the US after its withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal.
  • It will deepen relations between Iran and China and would establish a blueprint for "reciprocal investments in the fields of transport, ports, energy, industry and services."
  • It forms a part of China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a plan to fund infrastructure projects and increase its influence overseas.
• China's Growing Role in the Middle East:
  • Iran relies on China as its largest trading partner.
  • Chinese foreign minister, in his recent visit to West Asian nations, proposed a five-point initiative for achieving security and stability in the Middle East, advocating "mutual respect, upholding equity and justice, achieving non-proliferation, jointly fostering collective security, and accelerating development cooperation.”
  • Earlier, China and Russia called for the US to unconditionally return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as soon as possible and revoke the unilateral sanctions against Iran.
    • In this context, they proposed "the establishment of a regional security dialogue platform to converge a new consensus on resolving the security concerns of countries in the region.”
• India's Concerns:
  • Military Partnership: China is also concluding a security and military partnership with Iran.
    • China calls for “joint training and exercises, joint research and weapons development and intelligence sharing” to fight “the lopsided battle with terrorism, drug and human trafficking and cross-border crimes”.
    • The sizable Chinese investments in Iranian ports development may eventually be turned into permanent military access arrangements with Iran.
  • Strategic Stakes Around the Chabahar Port: With a growing Chinese presence in Iran, India is concerned about its strategic stakes around the Chabahar port project that it has been developing.
    • The port is close to Gwadar port in Pakistan, which is being developed by China as part of its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that links it to the Indian Ocean through BRI.
  • Geopolitical Rivalry: India finds itself caught in the geopolitical rivalry between the US & China over Iran.
    • India’s dilemma also stems from the fact that robust support from the US is essential when it is locked in a border stand-off with China.
  • Impact on Relationship with Other Countries: Growing Chinese footsteps in Iran will have a long-lasting impact on India’s relationship with not only Iran but also on Afghanistan and Central Asian nations.

• In 2015, Iran with the P5+1 group of world powers - the USA, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany agreed on a long-term deal on its nuclear programme.
  • The deal was named as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and in common parlance as Iran Nuclear Deal.
• Under the deal, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear activity in return for the lifting of sanctions and access to global trade.
• The agreement allowed Iran to accumulate small amounts of uranium for research but it banned the enrichment of uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel and nuclear weapons.
• Iran was also required to redesign a heavy-water reactor being built, whose spent fuel could contain plutonium suitable for a bomb and to allow international inspections.
• In 2018, the United States declared its withdrawal from JCPOA and imposed unilateral sanction on Iran.
• Iran has pulled away from restrictions imposed under the deal in order to put pressure on the other signatories — Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China — to provide new economic incentives to offset US sanctions.

Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin Due to adverse impact of Covid-19, only 5.4% of the sanctioned houses under the central government's flagship rural housing scheme, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin, have reached completion for the year 2020-2021.

• • Launch: To achieve the objective of “Housing for All” by 2022, the erstwhile rural housing scheme Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was restructured to Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) w.e.f 1^st April, 2016.
  • Ministry Involved: Ministry of Rural development.
  • Aim: To provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all rural families, who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated houses by the end of March 2022.
    • To help rural people Below the Poverty Line (BPL) in construction of dwelling units and upgradation of existing unserviceable kutcha houses by providing assistance in the form of a full grant.
  • Beneficiaries: People belonging to SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST categories, widows or next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in action, ex servicemen and retired members of the paramilitary forces, disabled persons and minorities.
  • Selection of Beneficiaries: Through a three stage validation - Socio Economic Caste Census 2011, Gram Sabha, and geo-tagging.
  • Cost Sharing: The cost of unit assistance is shared between Central and State Governments in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and hilly states.
  • Features:
    • The minimum size of the house has been increased to 25 sq.mt (from 20sq.mt) with a hygienic cooking space.
    • The unit assistance has been increased from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain and from Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 1.30 lakh in hilly states.
    • The assistance for construction of toilets shall be leveraged through convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS or any other dedicated source of funding.
    • Convergence for piped drinking water, electricity connection, LPG gas connection etc. different Government programmers are also to be attempted.
• Performance of the Scheme:
  • Only 55% of the construction target has been completed.
    • Of the 2.28 crore houses to be built for the rural poor, less than 1.27 crore had been built by January 2021.
  • Money has been sanctioned to almost 85% of beneficiaries.
  • This scheme has helped in employment generation. Many states provided employment to their migrant labourers during lock down.