With reference to organic farming in India, consider the following statements: 1. 'The National Programme for Organic Production' (NPOP) is operated under the guidelines and directions of the Union Ministry of Rural Development. 2. 'The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority' (APEDA) functions as the Secretariat for the implementation of NPOP. 3. Sikkim has become India's first fully organic State. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Option (b) is correct because APEDA (under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry) serves as the Secretariat for the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), and Sikkim was officially declared India’s first fully organic state in 2016. Statement 1 is incorrect because NPOP is administered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, not the Ministry of Rural Development, which is a common distractor in UPSC questions. The core concept being tested is the institutional framework, regulatory bodies, and landmark achievements governing organic certification and production in India.