• The 8th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH8) held in Guwahati finalized three new global standards for large cardamom, vanilla, and coriander.

• With this, the total number of spice standards developed by CCSCH has reached 19.

• Event: Launch of a pilot Bamboo Plantation Project under the Green India Challenge (GIC)
• Date: October 21, 2025
• Location: Mullagutta 2 village, Adilabad district, Telangana

Headline: Top-10 Weakest Passports of the World by October 2025.

• Key Points:
• Overview:
  • The Henley Passport Index (as of July 2025) ranks the countries in terms of the amount of destinations that their citizens can visit without a visa in advance.
  • The less powerful a passport, the less the number of countries that its owners will be able to travel visa free or visa on arrival.

Key Points:

• Announcement: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced a strategic alliance with India to boost trade, technology, and bilateral cooperation. The announcement follows Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin’s recent visit to India.

1. Summary of the Discovery

• Recent satellite data analysis has revealed that the Taftan volcano in southeastern Iran, previously classified as extinct, is showing clear signs of renewed activity. Ground deformation measurements indicate the summit area rose by 9 centimetres between July 2023 and May 2024, prompting scientists to reclassify Taftan as a dormant volcano. This finding underscores the need for enhanced monitoring of volcanoes once considered inactive.