Notes:
The first International Conference on Sports Medicine & Sports Sciences “SAICON 2017” was inaugurated by the Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore in New Delhi on December 7, 2017. The SAICON 2017, which is organized by Sports Authority of India (SAI), will promote scientific temperament in the country and inspire students, researchers and educationists alike to take up sports science and research to the next level. The 3-day conference is being attended by about 1000 national and international delegates.

Notes:
Kanchanmala Pande from Nagpur, the visually impaired swimmer, has scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win gold at the World Para Swimming Championship in Mexico on December 7, 2017. Pande, who works with Reserve Bank of India (RBI), stood first in the in 200 meters medley event in S-11 category. In the World Championships that started on 2nd December 2017, Pande was the lone female swimmer from India to have qualified for the event. She was qualified for this championship after she brought home silver at the IDM Berlin Para Swimming Championship in July 2017. With this, she was selected to represent India in the 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley categories. Unfortunately, she missed a podium finish in the 100 metres freestyle and came 5th in the breaststroke and backstroke category.

Notes:
Azar A.H.Khan has been appointed as the new Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan. Presently, he is Consul General in the Consulate General of India. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.

Notes:
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Real Madrid and Portugal superstar, has won the 2017 Ballon d’Or award for the year’s best player in Paris, France. It is his record-equalling 5th Ballon d’Or award with his great Barcelona rival Lionel Messi. Ronaldo, who also won the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award in October 2017, added the 2017 Ballon d’Or to his previous wins in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016.

Notes:
The Darrah National Park, which is now Mukundara Hills National Park, is located in within the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests’ ecoregion of Rajasthan and covers an area of 250 square kilometres. It is home to a number of species including the wild boar, deer, nilgai, cheetah and wolves. The park consists of three wildlife sanctuaries: Darrah Wildlife Sanctuary, Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary and Jawahar Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. The River Chandrabhaga flows very close to the national park and there are a number of ancient temples, dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries that are situated along the banks of the river.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) has signed a MoU with Rotary India for concerted efforts towards achieving immunization target. The MoU will provide support and accelerate the efforts under Polio Eradication Programme, Routine Immunization including Mission Indradhanush, Intensified Mission Indradhanush and Measles-Rubella. It will generate awareness through innovative approaches and involving private practitioners and local leaders to achieve immunization target.

Notes:
United States has officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. With this, the United States will be the first country to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. At present, Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. It is the home of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, as well as the Israeli Supreme Court. It is the location of the official residence of the prime minister and the president. It is the headquarters of many government ministries. Other countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel keep their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Notes:
Mamta Kalia, the renowned Hindi scholar and writer, has been chosen for the 27th edition of Vyas Samman-2017 for her novel “Dukkham Sukkham”. According to the KK Birla Foundation, which instituted the award in 1991, Vyas Samman is given annually to an outstanding work of Hindi literature by an Indian citizen published in the last 10 years. The award includes a cash prize of Rs 3.50 lakh. “Dukkham Sukkham” is a saga of a lower middle-class family’s three generations. The literary work focuses on the transition in relations and situations of our society.

Notes:
The 7th International Ground Water Conference (IGWC-2017) will be hosted by India in New Delhi with a theme of “Ground water Vision 2030- Water Security, Challenges and Climate Change Adaptation” from December 11 to 13, 2017. The conference has been organized by the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the aegis of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. The delegates from 15 countries are expected to participate in the conference and 250 research papers will be presented, including 32 Keynote papers. The Conference is expected to take stock of present status and challenges of Groundwater management in the country under the changing water use and climatic scenarios.

Notes:
The Taj Mahal, a mausoleum crafted in ivory-white marble, has been named 2nd best UNESCO world heritage site in the world, according to a new survey by travel portal TripAdvisor. The ‘monument of love’ was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. It is rated after Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. Other popular heritage sites on the survey include the Great Wall of China built by Xu Da of Northern Qi Dynasty in 1368 AD and South America’s Incan citadel Machu Picchu in Peru.