Consider the following statements: 1. India is a member of the International Grains Council. 2. A country needs to be a member of the International Grains Council for exporting or importing rice and wheat. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: A. Only Statement 1 is correct. Statement 1 is CORRECT. India IS a member of the International Grains Council (IGC), headquartered in London. The IGC administers the Grains Trade Convention and tracks global grain markets (wheat, coarse grains, rice). India joined as a founder-member and is one of the largest grain producers globally. Statement 2 is WRONG. IGC membership is NOT a requirement for international trade in rice and wheat. Countries trade grains globally through bilateral and multilateral agreements; the IGC provides market intelligence and policy coordination but does not gatekeep trade. Many grain-exporting and importing countries are not IGC members. Source: International Grains Council membership list / Ministry of Commerce trade documents.