Abraham Accords | SARTHAK-PDS Scheme to Modernise Public Distribution System | India–US Critical Minerals Framework

Abraham Accords

International

Context

• Pakistan’s Defence Minister has said that he is not in favour of Pakistan joining the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with Israel.

Abraham Accords

• • The Abraham Accords refer to a series of normalisation agreements signed in 2020 between Israel and several Arab countries, brokered by the United States under the Trump administration.
  • For decades, most Arab nations refused to recognise Israel until the Palestinian issue was resolved. 
  • The Abraham Accords marked a major shift in Middle East diplomacy by establishing open relations between Israel and certain Arab states without prior resolution of the Israel–Palestine conflict.
  • UAE became the first Gulf country to normalise relations with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords.

• Countries: USA, Israel, UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco and Kazakhstan.

Main Objectives

• Normalisation of diplomatic relations (embassies, direct flights, trade, tourism, and technology cooperation).
• Security and intelligence cooperation, especially against Iran’s regional influence.
• Economic collaboration in sectors like innovation, agriculture, defence, and renewable energy.
• Promotion of interfaith understanding named after Abraham, the patriarch revered in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

SARTHAK-PDS Scheme to Modernise Public Distribution System

Economy

Context

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), approved the continuation and integration of two key food distribution schemes under a new umbrella programme titled “Scheme for Assistance in Ration Transport and Handling-Income with Automation in PDS” (SARTHAK-PDS).

SARTHAK-PDS scheme 

• It integrates two existing initiatives;

1. Assistance to State Agencies for intra-State movement of foodgrains and FPS dealers’ margin under NFSA and 
2. Scheme for Modernization and Reforms through Technology in Public Distribution System (SMART PDS) with the objective of strengthening implementation of the National Food Security Act.

• Significance- The scheme proposes the use of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Blockchain to modernise and optimise PDS operations.

Additional Information – PDS System

• The Public Distribution System (PDS) is a food security mechanism in India through which essential food commodities are distributed to eligible beneficiaries at subsidised prices through Fair Price Shops (FPSs).
• The system primarily distributes rice, wheat and coarse grains to economically weaker sections of society.
• The PDS is a joint responsibility of the central and state governments. 
• The central government, through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), procures, stores, transports, and allocates food grains to the states.

India–US Critical Minerals Framework

Science & Technology

Context

• India and the United States signed a major framework agreement to strengthen cooperation in the supply, mining, processing, recycling, and management of critical minerals and rare earth elements (REEs).
• The initiative follows concerns over China’s 2025 export controls on REEs, which disrupted global technology supply chains.

List of Critical Minerals

• A total of 30 minerals were found to be most critical for India : Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, Rare Earth Elements (REEs), Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.

India’s Policy Push for Mineral Exploration

• • Domestic Reserves: India has vast untapped mineral potential, with lithium in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Rajasthan, and REEs in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
  • Policy Initiatives: National Mineral Exploration Policy (NMEP), 2016 and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2021 have accelerated exploration through private participation and advanced surveys.

• KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd) is acquiring overseas mineral assets to ensure supply security.

• National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) – It aims to strengthen the value chain from exploration to recovery.

Additional Information – Rare Earth Elements (REEs)

• REEs are a group of 17 metallic elements, including the 15 lanthanides along with scandium and yttrium.
• They are widely used in consumer electronics, defence systems, renewable energy technologies, EVs, communication systems, and nuclear energy.
• India has the world’s third-largest rare earth reserves, mainly found in monazite minerals.

‘Pax Silica’

• launched in – December, 2025

• It is a coalition comprising the United States, Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the UAE, the UK, and now India.
• Objective – It is a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure, prosperous, and innovation-driven silicon supply chain from critical minerals.
• The term ‘Pax Silica’ derived from Latin ‘Pax’ (peace) and ‘Silica’ (a core compound in semiconductors).
• Significance – It symbolizes the pursuit of technological peace and prosperity through resilient, transparent, and cooperative supply chains.