(a) United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is a convention to mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements. The convention was adopted in France (Paris) on 17th June, 1994 and entered into force in December, 1996. India became a signatory to UNCCD on 14th October, 1994 and ratified it on 17th December, 1996. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal ministry for the convention, not Ministry of Home Affairs. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is incorrect.