Context: 

Recently, the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries inaugurated the 8th edition of Indusfood (Asia’s premier Food and Beverage (F&B) Trade Show) at Greater Noida.

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• Host: Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) with support from the Department of Commerce.

• It is an apex trade and investment promotion organization notified in the Foreign Trade Policy.

• At the 8th edition of Indusfood following two concurrent events were held: - 

• Indusfood Manufacturing (4th edition), a premier trade show dedicated to the future of food manufacturing solutions.
• Indusfood Agritech 2025 (Inaugural) was a global B2B exhibition focused on showcasing innovations in agriculture, aquaculture, fishing technology, and dairy farming.

• Indusfood began in 2017 to connect Indian food and beverage producers with international markets.

Key Events at Indusfood 2025: 

• Asian Presidents Forum (APF): It brings together top culinary leaders and chefs from across Asia, offering a dynamic platform for innovation and collaboration in the culinary world.
• International Food Retail Conclave & CEO Forum 2025: It facilitates engagement between global retail chains and Indian food retail leaders. 
• Sustainable Food Manufacturing Summit 2025: It brings together industry leaders and stakeholders to discuss sustainable practices for sustainable food manufacturing future.
• Global Food Security Conclave 2025: In this conclave, international collaboration aims to enhance food access and reduce waste.
• Global Food Safety and Standards Conclave: It brings together global regulators to discuss food safety systems, and exchange insights on evolving food hazards etc.

e-Shram Portal now available in all 22 Scheduled Languages

Context: 

The Union Ministry of Labour & Employment makes the bhashini-enabled e-Shram portal now available in all 22 Scheduled Languages.

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• The previous version was available only in English, Hindi, Kannada and Marathi.

e-Shram portal

• The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched this platform in 2021 to develop a comprehensive National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW).
• It is a ‘One Stop Solution’ for seamless access to Government schemes tailored for the welfare and social protection of unorganised workers. 

Eligibility for Registering on E-Shram Portal

• Be aged between 16 and 59 years.
• Be employed in the unorganized sector, including self-employed individuals, daily wage labourers, and gig workers. 
• Possess an Aadhaar card, a valid mobile number linked to Aadhaar, and a bank account.
• Not be a member of the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) or Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

Significance of the Portal

• The registration on the portal facilitates access to a broad spectrum of social security schemes and initiatives, currently, 12 schemes are under the portal.
• It establishes a centralized database of unorganized workers for effective policy implementation.
• It enhances access to social security schemes and benefits for workers in sectors such as agriculture, construction, domestic work, and street vending.

California Wildfires

Context: 

Experts have suggested that the recent wildfires in California have blazed due to the “Santa Ana” winds. 

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• The Palisades fire, the largest and most destructive, had destroyed more than 20,000 acres in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood to the west of Los Angeles. 
• The devastating wildfires have claimed the lives of at least 25 people, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise further.

Role of the Santa Ana winds

• These winds blow when high pressure builds over the Great Basin (the area between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada) and pressure is low over California’s coast.
• The difference in pressure triggers powerful winds that move from the Basin’s inland deserts east and north of Southern California towards the Pacific Ocean. 

Standing Committee Meeting of the CSPOC

Context: 

Recently, the Lok Sabha Speaker chaired the meeting of the Standing Committee of Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments of Commonwealth (CSPOC) in Guernsey.

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• The Lok Sabha Speaker chaired this meeting in his capacity as the host of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments of Commonwealth Countries (CSPOC) which will be held in India in 2026. 
• The Speaker also highlighted that the focus area of the 28th CSPOC will be the application of AI and social media in the working of Parliaments. 

• The Conference was created in 1969 to bring together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the national parliaments of the independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth.
• The Conference is an independent group and has no formal affiliation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Commonwealth Secretariat or the Commonwealth Heads of Government. 
• CSPOC operates on a two-year cycle, holding a conference of the full membership every two years, usually early in January, and a meeting of the Standing Committee at the same time the intervening year.

The Conference aims to:

• Maintain, foster, and encourage impartiality and fairness on the part of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments
• Promote knowledge and understanding of parliamentary democracy in its various forms
• Develop parliamentary institutions.

The Standing Committee oversees CSPOC activities. It is composed of 15 members, with 5 members constituting a quorum. 

The Committee is chaired by the Speaker of the lower House of the jurisdiction hosting the next conference. The term of office extends from the end of one conference to the end of the next conference.