SNIPPETS 18 JANUARY 2026

Sammakka–Saralamma Jatara: Telangana is preparing for the biennial Sammakka–Saralamma Jatara beginning 28 January 2026+ Celebrated at Medaram village in Mulugu district, Telangana, located inside the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary + A biennial tribal spiritual festival honouring Sammakka and Saralamma, revered as ancestral goddesses of the Koya Adivasi community

High Seas Treat: UN High Seas Treaty comes into force+ Officially known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement+ the legally binding UN treaty covers the ocean zones that lie beyond national waters (namely, the “high seas”) and the international seabed area+ BBNJ Agreement: Adopted in 2023 by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction+ Objective: Ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ).

Thiruvalluvar: He was a great Tamil philosopher, poet and thinker, thought to have lived in Mylapore, Chennai+ Known for his Tamil literary work ‘Tirukkural’, a collection of couplets on matters like ethics, politics, economics and love+ Values: Righteousness, Compassion, and Justice.

Dugongs: The Union government’s Expert Appraisal Committee (MoEFCC) has asked Tamil Nadu to revise the design of the proposed International Dugong Conservation Centre at Manora (Thanjavur)+ Dugong is a large, slow-moving marine mammal, commonly called a “sea cow” + feeds exclusively on seagrass+ It is a keystone species, playing a vital role in maintaining healthy seagrass meadows+ Found in warm, shallow coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans