1) Yuva Sangam: Modelled on Kashi Tamil Sangamam, Yuva Sangam is an initiative by the Government of India under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
- It aims to strengthen people-to-people connect between youth belonging to different States/UTs of India.
- Youths across various states will visit other states for 5-7 days.
- Multi-dimensional exposure will be provided under five broad areas – Paryatan (Tourism), Parampara (Traditions), Pragati (Development), Paraspar Sampark (People-to-people connect), and Prodyogiki (Technology).
- It draws inspiration from the National Education Policy 2020 and focuses on experiential learning
2) RISUG (Reversible Inhibition of Sperm under Guidance): The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has concluded a seven-year study on the male contraceptive RISUG, finding it to be safe and effective
- RISUG is a non-hormonal injectable contraceptive that provides long-lasting sterility with complete reversibility.
- The study found that RISUG’s pregnancy prevention was 99.02% without any serious side effects.
- Contraception is defined as the intentional prevention of conception through the use of various devices, sexual practices, chemicals, drugs, or surgical procedures
3) Intra-State Transmission System Green Energy Corridor (InSTS GEC): The Cabinet approved the InSTS GEC Phase II for the 13 GW Renewable Energy Project in Ladakh.
- Power Grid Corporation of India Limited will be the Implementing Agency for this project.
- This project is in addition to InSTS GEC Phase-II, which is already under implementation in the States of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh for grid integration and power evacuation of approx. 20 GW of RE power.
- It is expected to be completed by 2026
4) Marsquake: Marsquake is a quake or tremor on the surface of Mars, much like the tremors caused by earthquakes on the Earth.
- NASA’s InSight lander in 2022 detected strongest Marsquake which was caused by the tectonic forces within Mars.
- The Earth’s crust is divided into tectonic plates that continually shift, triggering quakes but the Martian crust is a single solid plate.
- Mars is still slowly shrinking and cooling, and there is still motion within the crust even though there are no active plate tectonic processes. These faults can trigger quakes
Places in News:
1) Lao PDR:
- Lao PDR is now the second country after Bangladesh to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) in 2023.
- Lao PDR (Capital: Vientiane)
- Political Boundaries:
- Laos, landlocked country of northeast-central mainland Southeast Asia.
- Laos is bounded to the north by China, to the northeast and east by Vietnam, to the south by Cambodia, to the west by Thailand, and to the northwest by Myanmar.
- Geographical Features:
- Dominating the landscape are its inhospitable forest-covered mountains.
- The highest point: The Phu Bia (9245 feet)
- Major River: The Mekong.
