• The registration portal for Phase III of Yuva Sangam, under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB), was launched.
• Yuva Sangam is an initiative by the Government of India to strengthen people-to-people connect between youth belonging to different States/UTs of India.
• Interested youth in the age group of 18-30 years, mainly students, NSS/ NYKS volunteers, employed/self-employed persons, etc. may register through the YUVA SANGAM portal to participate in the forthcoming Phase.

 ABOUT YUVA SANGAM

• Yuva Sangam, launched under EBSB, draws inspiration from the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and focuses on experiential learning and imbibing knowledge of the rich diversity of India on a first-hand basis.
• It is an on-going cultural exchange with the celebration of diversity at its core wherein participants gain an immersive experience of diverse facets of life, natural landforms, development landmarks, recent achievements, and youth connect in the host state.
• Yuva Sangam focuses on organizing exposure tours for the youth, including on-campus and off-campus students, from one state to another.
• Multi-dimensional exposure under five broad areas will be provided to them, which are Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions), Pragati (Development), Paraspar Sampark (People-to-people connect), and Prodyogiki (Technology).
• Youths across various states will visit other states for 5-7 days during which they will get an immersive experience of various facets of the state they are visiting and interact with the local youth.
• Yuva Sangam has been organized on the model of Kashi Tamil Sangamam (KTS).

• The new identity card for students – Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID– is to be rolled out in the country.
• The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry -APAAR, dubbed as the ‘One Nation, one ID’ is an Education Ecosystem Registry or an ‘EduLocker’.
• It is aligned with National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR).
  • NDEAR was established in 2021 and act as an enabler for New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• The APAAR will give each student enrolled from pre-primary to higher education, a unique Identification number.
  • This will be in addition to the already existing Aadhaar ID that every individual has.
• It will give a unique lifelong identification number to each student (enrolled from pre-primary to higher education).
• APAAR serves as a registry for institutions, students and faculty by creating lifelong credentials, and Academic Bank of Credits (ABC).
  • ABC is an online repository of academic data that facilitates students’ mobility among higher educational institutions.
• They will be able to digitally store their exam results, learning outcomes, co-curricular achievements such as ranking in Olympiads or receiving specialized skill training etc.

• Eminent archaeologist T. Murugeshi along with others, has discovered a rare inscription connected to the Alupa dynasty of the region during a recent archaeological exploration at Someshwara near Mangaluru.
• The inscription was the first record of the Alupas that announced the death of a king and also mentioned terms related to the Siri cult, such as Siri, Dalya and Chattara (Chatra).

ABOUT THE INSCRIPTION

• The inscription has two panels on the top, and in between the two panels the first line is engraved.
  • The rest of the inscription written below the panels is in the Kannada script and the language of 12th century characters announcing the death of Alupendra I.
• The human figures shown in the inscription represent Kulashekara Alupendra himself.
• The Someshwara inscription is very significant in the study of Tuluva history and culture.

ABOUT KULASHEKARA ALUPENDRA I

• Kulashekara Alupendra I was a famous ruler of the Alupas of South Canara.

• Alupendra I ruled Tulunadu from 1156-1215 A.D., as known from his other records.
• He was responsible for the establishment of new city called Kulashekara in Mangaluru.
• He also laid down strict rules and regulations for temple administration, which are still followed in all temples in this region.
• He was the first ruler to give royal patronage to Tulu language and culture, ruling from both the capitals, Mangaluru and Barkuru.
• He also built a palace by the name Bhuvanashraya at Kulashekara.

SOMESHWARA TEMPLE

• The Soma cult was founded by one Soma Sharma of Gujarat in the 11th century AD and it spread across the country.
• The Someshwara temple at Someshwara was built during the time of Kulashekara Alupendra in honour of Soma and adorned with Nava Durgas.
• Independent Navadurga sculptures in sitting posture are found in the temple.

• Chief Minister recently laid the foundation stones of the first digital library of the state to be built at a cost of Rs 3 crore in Bilaspur.
• A Krishi Bhavan at Dholra will also be to be constructed at a cost of Rs 5.18 crore.
• This one of the kind digital library in the state would have digital books that could be accessed online.
• More such digital libraries will be opened in 10 panchayats of Bilaspur district so that readers in rural areas can benefit from them.

• World Statistics Day is celebrated every year on 20^th
• The United Nations General Assembly established World Statistics Day on 20^th October 2015.
• The main significance of World Statistics Day is educate and aware people about the value of accurate, credible and error free statistical data for making well-informed decisions.

• Each year, on October 20^th, World Osteoporosis Day is marked to promote awareness regarding the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis.
• Theme for this year is “Step Up for Bone Health – Build Better Bones”
• Osteoporosis is a bone disorder characterized by abrupt structural alterations in the bones, resulting in a reduction in bone mass and bone mineral density.
  • Consequently, this condition renders the bones vulnerable to injuries and fractures.

• The World Health Summit 2023 was recently held in Berlin, Germany.
• It is a leading global health conference and network, which brings together stakeholders from politics, science, the private sector, and civil society from around the world to set the agenda for a healthier future.
• Theme- “A Defining Year for Global Health Action”.

• The First Robotic Process Automation lab under the Future Skill PRIME Project in Uttar Pradesh has been set up at NIELIT Gorakhpur.

• The lab was inaugurated by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary.
• It has been established with the objective of bridging the gap between industry and academia.
• The lab will provide students and professionals with hands-on experience in RPA technologies, preparing them for careers in this rapidly growing field.

The Future Skill PRIME Project, funded by MeitY, aims to upskill and reskill manpower in the emerging technology of RPA.

• Members of the Muthuvan tribe of the Anamalai hills, who are known for coexisting with the wildlife with their traditional knowledge, have joined hands with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department for a unique task.
• They will be part of the Project Nilgiri Tahr, which is aimed at protecting the State animal, conservation status of which is ‘endangered’ in the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

ABOUT MUTHUVAN TRIBE

• Muthuvan tribe is limited to fragmented habitats in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Traditionally, Muthuvans are nomadic agriculturists, hunters and trappers.
• Their primary cultivations are coffee, ginger, sugarcane and paddy.
• The Muthuvans live in hamlets called Kudi, whose headman is known as Kani or Moopan.
• They speak slightly two different dialects and call each other Malayalam Muthuvanand Pandi Muthuvan.
• Muthuvan are animists and spirit worshippersand also worship the forest gods.
• They believe that the spirits of their ancestors are to be the first migrants to the hill forests.

• Lao People’s Democratic Republic has eliminated lymphatic filariasis (LF) disease according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
• It is country’s second neglected tropical disease (NTD) to be eliminated in six years, following the elimination of trachoma as a public health hazard in 2017.
• Lao PDR is now the second country after Bangladesh to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) in 2023. Nineteen countries have been able to eliminate LF.

ABOUT LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS

• LF, also known as elephantiasis, is a preventable mosquito-borne infectious disease targeted for global elimination as a public health problem.
• It occurs when one of the filarial parasites — Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and B. timori — are transmitted to humans through mosquito bites.
• The parasites nest in the lymph vessels, damaging them. This leads to hydrocele, lymphedema, and elephantiasis.
• The most cost-effective method for treating all affected residents of LF-endemic areas and stopping future transmission is mass drug administration (MDA).
  • WHO recommends the triple therapy combination of ivermectin (I), diethylcarbamazine (D) and albendazole (A), for MDA against LF.
  • Multiple rounds of MDA, covering over 65 per cent of the population, are required.
• The Road Map for NTDs 2021-2030 had a target to eliminate LF from 23 countries by 2023.
• The elimination of NTDs by 2030 is one of the primary objectives of the United Nations-mandated global sustainable development goal of “health for all” (SDG 3).