19th JULY 2025 ENGLISH TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF TNPSC SHOUTERS
India’s millet standard recognized at 88th Codex Executive Committee meeting in Rome
- India was commended at the 88th Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission held at the Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome, Italy from 14 to 18 July 2025.
- The Small Grains Committee, chaired by India and co-chaired by Mali, Nigeria and Senegal, reviewed the progress of the work. The Terms of Reference for this were finalized at the 11th Session of the Codex Committee on Cereals and Pulses held in April 2025.
- As an elected member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission Executive Committee, India participated in the session inaugurated by Mr. Godfrey Maguenzi, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization and Dr. Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Control, World Health Organization.
- The event was attended by Dr. Alan Aseghel, Chairman of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Ms. Sarah Cahill, Secretary of the Commission and other elected representatives from Member States.
- The session critically reviewed the work undertaken under the leadership of India on the new standards for fresh dates recommended by the 23rd Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables held in February this year.
- The Executive Committee commended India’s efforts in finalizing these standards and endorsed them for further approval at the 48th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission scheduled for November 2025. India will also co-chair the new work programmes for the development of standards for fresh turmeric and fresh broccoli.
- India actively participated in the discussions on the monitoring framework for the Codex Strategic Plan 2026–2031 and also informed about its capacity building programme for neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and East Timor, which has been recognised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation. It is noteworthy that India has been chairing the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs since its inception in 2014.
