Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs

• The 8^th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) was inaugurated in Guwahati, Assam.

• • Organisers: It is organised by the Spices Board of India under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
  • Agenda: Discussions focused on setting global standards for large cardamom, sweet marjoram, cinnamon, and dried coriander seeds.

• The Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) is an international body that develops global standards for the quality and safety of spices and herbs.
• Framework: Founded in 2013, it operates under the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which is jointly managed by the FAO and the WHO.
• Objective: Recommend quality and safety standards for spices and culinary herbs (mainly in dried and dehydrated form) to safeguard consumer health and promote fair international spice trade.
• India’s Role: India hosts the CCSCH, with the Spices Board of India serving as its permanent Secretariat.

Nodal Officers to Trace Missing Children

• The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to ensure that all States and UTs appoint nodal officers to handle cases of missing children.

Existing Digital Infrastructure for Tracing Missing Children

• Track Child Portal: Exclusively for law enforcement agencies.
• Khoya-Paya Portal: Accessible to the general public, including parents and guardians
• Integration: The Mission Vatsalya portal now integrates the earlier TrackChild and Khoya-Paya platforms and involves 14 key stakeholders.
• Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC): Launched in 2020 for real-time information sharing on trafficking crimes.

Proposed Enhancements by the Bench

• Two-Way Mechanism: Allows both government agencies (when a child is found) and parents/guardians (when a child is lost) to register complaints.
• National Coordination: Central portal under Home Ministry supervision for inter-state coordination.
• Real-Time Alerts: Automatic dissemination to nodal officers upon complaint registration.
• Their contact details (name and phone number) are to be uploaded on the Mission Vatsalya portal for public access.

Root Causes of Tracing Failures

• Data Fragmentation: Key databases, such as police FIRs, TrackChild, Childline, and Mission Vatsalya, follow different formats, lack unique case IDs, and are not linked in real time.
• Inter-State Coordination: Many cases involve cross-border movement, but the absence of standardised nodal officers and clear SOPs delays information sharing and action.
• Capacity Constraints: Police units often lack trained staff to use digital tools, conduct cyber/social media searches, or coordinate with AHT (Anti-Human Trafficking) units.
• Low Trace Conversion: Despite high reporting, many children remain missing due to delayed FIRs and misreporting of abduction/runaway cases.

UIDAI launches SITAA to Combat Deepfakes

• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched the Scheme for Innovation and Technology Association with Aadhaar (SITAA) to enhance Aadhaar authentication security.

Key Highlights of SITAA

• UIDAI has partnered with MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) and NASSCOM to promote collaboration among startups, academia, and industry.
• The initiative aims to create a secure and self-reliant digital identity ecosystem, focusing on biometric innovation, AI-based authentication, and data privacy.

Three Core Innovation Challenges under SITAA

• Face Liveness Detection: Development of software development kits (SDKs) for detecting fake or manipulated face inputs using photos, videos, masks, morphs, or deepfakes.
• Presentation Attack Detection (PAD): Proposals from research institutions to create AI/ML-based tools capable of detecting print, replay, and deepfake attacks in real or near-real time.
• Contactless Fingerprint Authentication: Using standard smartphone cameras or low-cost devices, developing fingerprint authentication, ensuring image accuracy and spoof detection.

India Elected Co-Chair of UN-GGIM Asia-Pacific Committee

• India has been elected Co-Chair of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Asia and the Pacific (UN-GGIM-AP) Committee for a three-year term until 2028.

• The UN-GGIM-AP is a regional committee under the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), which includes 56 member countries and regions.

UN-GGIM

• It is the apex intergovernmental body of the United Nations responsible for managing and coordinating global geospatial information.
• Foundation: It was established by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2011.
• Objective: To address cross-border challenges in data interoperability and governance by developing global frameworks, standards, and guidelines for geospatial data and services.
• Structure: It is a global Committee of Experts representing all UN Member States, supported by five regional committees and various working groups.
• The five regional committees of the UN-GGIM represent Africa, the Americas, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe.
• Key Initiatives: The Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) guides national strategies; the Global Geodetic Reference Frame (GGRF) ensures reliable geospatial data and supports SDG monitoring.

Hybrid Non-Basmati Paddy in Punjab

• Recently, Punjab banned hybrid non-Basmati paddy in 2025, citing low OTR and high input cost, but the move violated the Seed Act, 1966.

• Despite the ban, farmers procured hybrid seeds from Haryana & Himachal Pradesh, leading to a surge in cultivation amid erratic weather.

Why Farmers Still Use Hybrid Non-Basmati Paddy?

• Higher Yield Advantage: Hybrid paddy gives 5–6 quintals/acre higher yield (35–40 q/acre total) than traditional varieties (Punjab Agri Dept., 2024).
• Short Duration Crop: Matures in 125–130 days, allowing faster turnaround, reducing stubble burning.
• Resilience to Erratic Weather: Performs better under variable rainfall & temperature stress, crucial for climate-affected Punjab plains.

Way Forward

• Policy Stability: Develop a long-term Punjab Hybrid Paddy Policy balancing yield, milling standards & sustainability. E.g. Telangana’s Seed Traceability System for transparent hybrid monitoring.
• Tech Upgradation: Modernise rice mills under PM Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (PM-FME) to improve OTR & efficiency.
• Climate-Smart Planning: Encourage short-duration, water-efficient hybrids under National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA).
• Legal Clarity: Align State actions with Seed Act, 1966 & National Seed Policy (2002) to reduce litigation.

 World Meteorological Organisation Greenhouse Gas Bulletin

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin 2025, reporting record global concentrations of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O in 2024.

Key Findings of the Bulletin

• CO₂ Surge: Global CO₂ concentration increased by 3.5 ppm to 423.9 ppm in 2024, representing the largest annual rise since 1957.
• Historical Ratio: CO₂ levels reached 152% of pre-industrial concentration due to persistent fossil fuel emissions and declining absorption by natural carbon sinks.
• The 2024 El Niño event, combined with severe wildfires in the Amazon and Southern Africa, decreased ocean and land CO₂ absorption.
• Methane Level: CH₄ concentration reached 1942 ppb, or 266% of pre-industrial levels, contributing about 16% to total radiative forcing from long-lived greenhouse gases.
• Nitrous Oxide: N₂O concentration was 338 ppb (125% of pre-industrial levels), mainly due to fertiliser use and biomass burning.
• Radiative Forcing: The combined warming impact from long-lived greenhouse gases rose 54% between 1990 and 2024, with CO₂ alone accounting for around 81% of this increase.
• Temperature Threshold: In 2024, the global mean temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time, indicating a narrowing window for climate action.

Sundarbans Aquaculture Model Wins FAO Global Recognition

• The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has awarded Global Technical Recognition to the Sustainable Aquaculture in Mangrove Ecosystems (SAIME) from the Sundarbans.

SAIME Model

• It is a community-driven initiative in the Sundarbans region of West Bengal that promotes eco-friendly, climate-resilient aquaculture along with mangrove restoration.
• The model ensures that mangroves cover 5–30% of brackish water shrimp farming areas and utilises mangrove litter as natural feed, thereby reducing production costs.
• Implementation: Launched in 2019, it is jointly conducted by the Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS) in India and two organizations from Germany and Bangladesh.
• Key Outcome: Participating farmers achieved profit gains of over 100% due to reduced input costs and increased productivity.
• Significance: The initiative enhances coastal resilience, promotes sustainable livelihoods, assists in carbon sequestration, and encourages chemical-free aquaculture.

Indian Wolf as a Distinct Species

• The Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) might soon be classified as a distinct species by the IUCN, increasing the total number of wolf species to eight.

Indian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes)

• The Indian Wolf, also called the Peninsular Wolf, is a subspecies of the grey wolf native to the Indian subcontinent and Southwest Asia.
• Genetic Distinction: Genetic studies show it diverged from other wolf lineages around 110,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest wolf lineages in the world.
• Physical Traits: The Indian wolf is smaller and leaner than the Himalayan wolf, and it lacks a dense winter coat to adapt to warmer climates.
• Behavioural Traits: It travels in smaller packs of six to eight individuals, is less vocal than other wolf subspecies, and is primarily nocturnal.
• Habitat Range: Prefers semi-arid scrublands, open grasslands, and agro-pastoral ecosystems, while avoiding dense forests with high predator competition.
• Distribution: About 3,000 individuals survive across India and Pakistan. In India, populations are concentrated in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
• Ecological Role: As an apex predator, it maintains grassland ecosystem balance by regulating herbivore populations and preventing overgrazing.
• Key Threats: Habitat loss due to industrial and agricultural expansion, genetic dilution from feral dog hybridization, human-wildlife conflicts, prey base depletion, etc.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix I; WPA: Schedule I.

Snow Leopard is the Least Genetically Diverse Cat Species

• A recent Stanford University study found that the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) has the lowest genetic diversity among all big cat species.

Causes of Low Genetic Diversity in Snow Leopards

• Small Population: Snow leopards evolved in small, isolated populations because of their harsh, high-altitude habitats with limited resources.
• Natural Barriers: Mountain ranges and deserts, such as the Himalayas and Taklamakan, limit movement and gene flow between regional populations.
• Niche Adaptation: Adaptation to extreme cold and arid environments confined genetic variation to a narrow ecological spectrum.
• Human Fragmentation: Expanding infrastructure, mining, and settlements further isolated their populations and reduced interbreeding opportunities.

Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)

• The snow leopard is a large, elusive wild cat species adapted to survive in the cold, high-altitude mountains of Central and South Asia.
• Behaviour: Often called the “ghost of the mountains,” it leads a solitary life and is primarily crepuscular (active during dawn and dusk).
• Habitat Preference: They inhabit steep, rugged mountainous areas above the tree line, usually between 3,000 and 4,500 meters.
• Geographic Range: Snow Leopards span 12 Asian countries, including China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Russia; China accounts for nearly 60% of their habitat.
• India Population: India has about 718 snow leopards, concentrated mainly in Ladakh (477), followed by Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Jammu & Kashmir.
• Key Threats: Habitat fragmentation, poaching for pelts (skin with fur), climate change, livestock competition, and unregulated tourism.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix I; WPA: Schedule I.

DRDO’s Military Combat Parachute System

• The indigenously developed Military Combat Parachute System (MCPS) was successfully tested by the Indian Air Force at 32,000 ft.

• • Developed By: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
  • Key Features: The parachute provides a slower descent, better stability, and enhanced steering control, improving safety and tactical accuracy.
  • Operational Capability: The MCPS is the only parachute system currently in use by the Indian armed forces capable of deployment above 25,000 ft.
  • Navigation Integration: It integrates Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), making it resistant to interference or denial by external actors.
  • Significance: It marks the beginning of the induction of Indigenous parachute systems, ensuring self-reliance in high-altitude airborne operations.

Google’s AI Model Finds New Approach for Cancer Treatment

• Google unveiled an AI model that identified a new drug combination to boost the body’s immune response against cancer.

• This is one of the rare cases where AI has contributed directly to scientific drug discovery.

Key Highlights

• The discovery was made using Cell2Sentence-Scale 27B (C2S-Scale 27B), a 27-billion-parameter AI model from Google’s open-source Gemma family.
• Objective: The model was trained to find a drug that could strengthen immune signals when interferon levels (the body’s first defence proteins) are low, conditions where tumours evade immune detection.
• Discovery: Out of 4,000 simulated drug candidates, the model identified silmitasertib, which enhances antigen presentation, making tumour cells more visible to the immune system.
• Novelty: Silmitasertib’s effect on CK2 protein inhibition to trigger an immune response was previously unknown, demonstrating AI’s capacity to generate new scientific hypotheses.

Henley Passport Index 2025

• India’s passport has fallen to 85^th in the 2025 Henley Passport Index, offering visa-free access to 57 countries, down from 59 last year.

Key Findings from the Index

• Global Leaders: Singapore (193 destinations) ranks 1^st, followed by South Korea & Japan (192).
• Regional Comparison: Bangladesh (100th) – 38 destinations; Pakistan (103rd) – 31destinations.
• World’s Weakest Passports: Afghanistan (24), Syria (26), and Iraq (29) at the bottom of the index.

Google AI Hub in Visakhapatnam

• Google will invest $15 billion over five years (2026–2030) to establish its largest Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub outside the United States, located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

• The project infrastructure will be developed in partnership with the Adani Group and Airtel.
• Key Feature: It will include a large-scale AI data centre supported by renewable energy, and a new international subsea cable landing station to strengthen global digital connectivity.
• Significance: The investment aligns with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and represents Google’s biggest financial commitment in India so far.

Interim President of Madagascar

• Colonel Michael Randrianirina has been appointed interim president of Madagascar following the impeachment of ousted President Andry Rajoelina. Randrianirina commands the elite CAPSAT military unit that took part in anti-government protests.

Sports – Khelo India University Games

• 5^th edition of Khelo India University Games (KIUG) is to be held in Rajasthan. It is a part of the ‘Khelo India’ scheme under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. For the first time, the KIUG will feature beach volleyball, canoeing & kayaking, and cycling.