Thiruvalluvar Day

Context: On Thiruvalluvar Day, the Prime Minister paid tribute to sage Thiruvalluvar, acknowledging the enduring relevance of his literary works and ethical teachings in guiding society across generations.

About Thiruvalluvar Day

• It typically falls on the second day of the Tamil month Thai, coinciding with the Pongal harvest festivities.
• In 2026, Thiruvalluvar Day was observed on 16th January.
• Thiruvalluvar Day is an annual observance in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu dedicated to the legendary Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar.
• The day honours Thiruvalluvar’s contribution to literature and ethics. His work, the Thirukkural, contains 1,330 couplets (Kurals) divided into three books: Virtue (Aram), Wealth (Porul), and Love (Inbam).
• Although first celebrated in May 1935, the current January date was established in the 1960s to align with the Tamil calendar and the Pongal season.

About Saint Thiruvalluvar 

• Thiruvalluvar was born at Madurai, the capital of the Pandyas.
• He is regarded as an Avatara of Brahma.
• He is one of the most translated Tamil Poet and G.U. Pope has called him “The Bard of Universal Man”
• He lived during the Sangam era of Tamil classical culture.
• Dravidian groups also count him as a saint, as he dismissed the caste system.

National Conference on “Eco-restoration of the Aravalli Landscape”

Context: Recently, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change inaugurated the National Conference on “Eco-restoration of the Aravalli Landscape: Strengthening the Aravalli Green Wall” in New Delhi.

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• Sankala Foundation organised the national conference to link policy with on-ground ecological restoration and address the Aravalli range’s increasing degradation.
• The Minister released the Sankala Foundation’s report titled “Eco-restoration of the Aravalli Landscape”.
• The conference is focused on national and state-level progress under the Green Wall Project, integrating scientific and policy frameworks with community-led restoration practices, and building consensus on priority actions. 
• Under the Green Wall initiative, 6.45 million hectares of degraded Aravalli land have been identified, with greening started on 2.7 million hectares across Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
• Divisional Forest Officers from 29 Aravalli districts are implementing the project using native species adapted to arid and semi-arid conditions.

About the Aravalli Range

• The Aravalli Range is one of the world’s oldest geological formations, formed during the Proterozoic Era over 2.5 billion years ago and among the oldest fold mountain systems on Earth.
• It extends for about 670–800 km from Delhi through Haryana and Rajasthan to Gujarat, making it one of the longest mountain ranges in India.
• The range acts as a vital natural barrier, preventing the eastward spread of the Thar Desert into the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains.

6^th ASEAN–India Digital Ministers’ (ADGMIN) Meeting

Context: Recently, the 6^th ASEAN–India Digital Ministers’ Meeting was held virtually, reaffirming ASEAN and India’s commitment to strengthening digital cooperation.

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• The Meeting acknowledged the adoption of the ASEAN–India Joint Statement on Advancing Digital Transformation.
• The Meeting also welcomed operationalisation of a special ‘ASEAN-India Fund for Digital Future’.
• The Meeting reviewed progress under the ASEAN–India 2025 Digital Work Plan, adopted the 2026 Work Plan focusing on:
  • ICT training/capacity building programs
  • The India-ASEAN Regulators’ Conference 
  • Deployment of telecom ICT solutions.

About ADGMIN

• The ADGMIN is an annual forum of Telecom and Digital Ministers from the 11 ASEAN Member States.
• The Member States are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Viet Nam along with ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners, including Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 
• The meeting deliberated on key issues aimed at strengthening regional digital cooperation, with a focus on digital inclusion and integration.

Sukhatme National Award in Statistics – 2026

Context: Recently, nominations have been invited online for the Sukhatme National Award in Statistics – 2026 through the National Awards Portal.

About the Sukhatme National Award in Statistics

• It has been instituted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation to recognize the exceptional/ outstanding contribution made by individuals to improve the system of official statistics. 
• The Award will be presented during the Statistics Day function on 29^thJune 2026.
• It is awarded in the memory of Prof. P.V. Sukhatme, a renowned statistician, for his outstanding contribution and the distinguished service to the cause of Statistics and its application to agriculture and allied fields. 
• This award is given in alternate years to the senior Indian Statisticians for their Lifetime Contributions and Achievements in the field of Statistics.
• This prestigious award is given in alternate years since the year 2000 to eminent Indian Statisticians of the age of 45 years and above for their Lifetime Contributions and Achievements in the field of Statistics.

Pandurang Vasudeo Sukhatme (1911–1997)

• He was a distinguished Indian statistician known for his pioneering contributions to agricultural statistics and human nutrition.
• He developed the Sukhatme–Margen hypothesis, which proposed that energy efficiency in the human body varies based on intake levels and that calorie requirements are not fixed but exhibit intra-individual variation.

Jallikattu Festival

Context: Recently, the Tamil Nadu government hosted Jallikattu on the occasion of the traditional Pongal festival.

About the Jallikattu festival

• Jallikattu (also known as sallikkattu) is a traditional Tamil bull-taming sport held during Pongal, symbolising Tamil culture, bravery, and the human-animal bond.
• The term "Jallikattu" comes from Tamil words "Salli" (coins) and "Kattu" (tied), referring to the prize money tied to the bull’s horns, which participants try to retrieve. 
  • It is about grabbing the hump of a running bull and holding on without harming it.
• There are different styles, such as Vadi Manjuvirattu (bull released from an enclosure), Velivettai (bull released in an open field), and Vatam Manjuvirattu (bull tied with a rope).
• Pulikulam or Kangayam is the breed of bulls used for the sport.
• The Jallikattu Premier League was formed in 2018 by Tamil Nadu Jallikattu Peravai and the Chennai Jallikattu Amaippu.
• In 2014, the Supreme Court banned Jallikattu citing animal cruelty concerns raised by groups such as PETA, but the ban was lifted in 2016 with safeguards for animal and participant safety.
• After widespread protests, Tamil Nadu amended the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, to recognise Jallikattu as a cultural practice and regulate it to minimise cruelty.
• In 2023, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the Tamil Nadu amendment and similar laws in Maharashtra and Karnataka, noting that the rules substantially reduced pain and cruelty to animals, allowing the sport to continue.