• Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS), in its new endeavour to promote research for mainstreaming the pragmatic Ayurveda practices through scientific validation and evidence-based appraisal, has launched “Ayurveda Gyan Naipunya Initiative” (AGNI) for physicians practicing in the field of Ayurveda.
• The AGNI project aims-
  • to provide a platform for Ayurveda practitioners to report their innovative practices & and experiences in various disease conditions,
  • promoting the culture of evidence-based practice among Ayurveda Practitioners.
  • to undertake research for mainstreaming pragmatic practices through scientific validation and evidence-based appraisal.

ABOUT CENTRAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH IN AYURVEDA SCIENCES (CCRAS)

• CCRAS is an apex research organization committed to undertaking, coordinating, formulating, development and promotion of research on scientific lines in Ayurveda.
• Nodal ministry – Ministry of Ayush
• Earlier, to boost scientific research through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals, CCRAS has initiated –
  • Studentship Program for Ayurveda Research Ken (SPARK) for Undergraduate Scholars,
  • Scheme for Training in Ayurveda Research for PG Scholars (PG-STAR) for PG Scholars and
  • Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals (SMART) program for teachers.

• The 59th session of the International Tropical Timber Council, the governing body of the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO), was held recently in Pattaya, Thailand.
• The International Tropical Timber Council meets at least once a year to discuss a wide-ranging agenda aimed at promoting sustainable tropical forest management and the trade of sustainably produced tropical timber.
• The 60th Session of the ITTC will be held in Yokohama, Japan, in December 2024.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER ORGANISATION (ITTO)

• ITTO is a treaty-based inter-governmental organisation headquartered in Yokohama, Japan.
• ITTO was established by the International Tropical Timber Agreement of 1983 (ITTA, 1983) to bring together governments to jointly consider issues facing the tropical forest sector and related international trade, including the crucial importance of the tropical forest resource base.
• At present, ITTO operates under the ITTA, 2006.
• ITTO is focussed on promoting the sustainable management and conservation of tropical forests and the expansion and diversification of international trade in tropical timber from sustainably managed and legally harvested forests.
• The organisation’s 75 members include 37 “producer” countries and 38 “consumer” countries.
• India is a founder member of ITTO.
  • India belongs to the group of the producer member countries.
  • The Ministry of environment, forest & climate change is the nodal ministry for ITTO related matters in India.
• ITTO’s membership represents about 90 per cent of the global tropical timber trade and more than 80 per cent of the world’s tropical forests.

• Max Verstappen, from team Red Bull won the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
• Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc came in second and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished third.

• This program was set in motion in 1967 by Dr. Robert Langlands at Princeton University.
• Langlands Program consists of “very complicated theoretical abstractions, which can be difficult even for specialist mathematicians to grasp”.
• At the heart of the Program is an attempt to find connections between two far-flung areas of mathematics: number theory and harmonic analysis.
  • Number theory is the arithmetic study of numbers and the relationships between them.
    • A famous example of such a relationship is the Pythagoras theorem: a2 + b2 = c2.
  • Harmonic analysis is interested in the study of periodic phenomena.
    • Unlike number theorists, who deal with discrete arithmetics (like integers), harmonic analysts deal with mathematical objects more continuous in nature (like waves).
  • In 2018, Dr. Langlands was awarded the Abel Prize, one of the highest honours for mathematicians, for “his visionary program connecting representation theory to number theory”.

• A joint exercise of the special forces of India and the United States commenced in Meghalaya’s Umroi Cantonment.
• Titled ‘Vajra Prahar 2023’, it is the 14^th such exercise aimed at sharing the best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics.
• The first edition of the joint exercise was conducted in 2010.
• The S. contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group while the Indian Army contingent is led by the Special Forces personnel from the Eastern Command.
• The exercises include combat free-fall insertion of troops from stand-off distances, water-borne insertion of troops, precision engagement of targets at long ranges, combat air-controlling of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, and airborne insertion and sustenance of troops.

• Kolkali is one of the most popular folk dance of Kerala’s Malabar region.
• Kolkali means ‘dance with sticks’.
• Both men and women participate in the dance.
• The dancers move in a circle striking small sticks and keeping rhythm with special steps according to the music.
  • The circle expands and contracts as the dance proceeds.
  • The accompanying music gradually rises in pitch and the dance reaches its climax.
• Musical instruments used include Chenda, Elathalam, Mathalam and Chengala.
• Usually it is presented once in a year after paddy harvest during the month of April.
• Farmers and all villagers celebrate the festival together without any caste and creed.

• External Affairs Minister recently stated that India’s engagement with the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) nations has significantly strengthened in recent years
• The focus has been on establishing “appropriate institutional frameworks” to foster closer business-to-business cooperation with countries in the group.

ABOUT NB8 STATES

• The Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8), consists of-
  • Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden (Nordic states)
  • Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (Baltic states)
• It was established in 1992 to foster closer ties between the Nordic and Baltic countries.
• Notably, the NB8 countries collectively represent an economy of more than USD 2 trillion, with a population of about 33 million and a high standard of living.
  • NB-8 also stands as an innovation and technological powerhouse.
  • NB8 countries are global leaders in niche technologies in the areas of digitization, maritime solutions, port modernization, food processing, health & life-sciences, renewable energy, AI, agriculture, innovation and skill development, e-mobility, offshore wind, fuel-technologies, including green hydrogen and green methanol, ICT, life sciences, digitaization and e-governance, cyber technologies and Green Shipping.

• A study by the Indian Council for Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology has for the first time confirmed the presence of the Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) virus in two more districts of the state—Hassan and Mysore.
• KFD is endemic in Karnataka.
• In 1957, KFD was first reported from Shivamogga.

ABOUT KFD

• KFD is a zoonotic disease.
• Kyasanur forest disease virus (KFDV) is transmitted through the bite of ticks and bonnet, and black-faced langur monkeys are highly susceptible to the infection.
  • They play a significant role in the spread of the virus in the human population.
• KFDV has been mainly found to affect humans in the forests of the Western Ghats region, with considerable morbidity.
• The disease manifests with an acute and a convalescent phase lasting for four weeks.
• In about 10-20 per cent of individuals, it may manifest with haemorrhagic or neurological complications.
• Reported mortality rate is about 2–10% and in recent years, KFDV has spread along the entire stretch of the Western Ghats region, which also includes Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa.

• Scientists have discovered a new species of ‘music frog’ in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The speciality of this new species, Nidirana noadihing, is that both the male and female are vocal.
• It has a unique call pattern consisting of two-three notes.
• The new species was named after the Noa-Dihing River, which is near where the specimens were discovered and collected.
• Appearance
  • The frog has a “robust” body, with males measuring between approximately 1.8 inches and 2.3 inches long and females measuring between about 2.4 inches and 2.6 inches long.
  • The frogs have a ’rounded’ snout and ‘smooth’ skin with bony protrusions on their backs.
  • The amphibians have a ‘pale cream’ line bordered with dark brown running down the centre of their bodies.
  • Their light brown limbs are adorned with dark stripes.
• According to the scientists, the new species confirmed for the first time that the Nidirana genus has been found in India.
  • Nidirana species are known in Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
  • Nidirana are known to inhabit swamps, ponds and paddy fields, and they often construct nests to lay their eggs.
• Thus, Noa-Dihing Music Frogs are distinguished from other species by their size, their oval toe tips, the tubercles on their backs and their unique call.

• In states like Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Punjab, mosquitofish have been released into local water bodies to address a mosquito menace.
• A new study has revealed that two species of mosquitofish have invaded various ecosystems across India.

MOSQUITO BORNE DISEASES

• The world’s climate and habitats have changed noticeably in the last century, accelerating the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
• These diseases prevail in more than 150 countries worldwide, affecting more than 500 million people.
• In India alone, around 40 million individuals contract mosquito-borne diseases every year.
• Examples of mosquito borne diseases- Malaria, West Nile Virus, Dengue, Zika, Yellow Fever, Chikungunya.

ABOUT GAMBUSIA FISH

• In such scenario, the biological control of mosquitoes assumes importance.

• In the 1960s, introducing mosquitofish in freshwater ecosystems to feed on mosquito larvae – became prominent as alternatives to chemical solutions like pesticides.
• Among mosquito predators, there were two species of mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis and Gambusia holbrooki.
• In countries with governments that had approved this strategy, the authorities released them into freshwater ecosystems.
• However the fish began to proliferate, with their populations eventually spreading far beyond their original habitats.
• These species of mosquitofish originated in the U.S. but today have become global inhabitants.
• Threats- They are notorious for their detrimental ecological impact, including displacing and preying on native fauna, leading to the extinction of native fish, amphibians, and various freshwater communities.
• Checks-
  • Because of such threats, the World Health Organisation stopped recommending Gambusia as a mosquito control agent in 1982.
  • In 2018, the National Biodiversity Authority of the Government of India also designated G. affinis and G. holbrooki as invasive alien species.

But both government and non-governmental organisations in India have continued to introduce these species for mosquito-control.