Notes:
Indian actor Parvathy Thiruvoth Kottuvatta has won the Best Actor Female Award at the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2017) for her role in Malayalam film “Take Off”. The movie, directed by Mahesh Narayan, is based on the ordeal of Indian nurses in the city of Tikrit, Iraq, in 2014. It also won the Special Jury Award which included a Silver Peacock, a certificate and cash prize of Rs 15 lakh. Beside this, Marathi film “Kshitiz A Horizon” (directed by Manouj Kadaamh) won the ICFT Unesco Gandhi Medal 2017. The Prestigious Silver Peacock Award for the Best Debut Film of a Director goes to Director Kiro Russo for the film “Dark Skull”. The theme of IFFI 2017 was “Celebrating the Future of Cinema” and Canada was the focus country.

Notes:
Jenny Kim, a South Korean beauty pageant titleholder, has been crowned Miss Supranational 2017 in Krynica-Zdroj, Poland on December 1, 2017. She was crowned by the very beautiful Miss Supranational 2016 “Srinidhi Ramesh Shetty” of India. Altogether 65 contestants from across the globe participated at the prestigious pageant with Jenny Kim emerging victorious.

Notes:
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed every year on December 3 to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. The annual observance of the day was proclaimed in 1992 by a United Nations General Assembly resolution. The 2017 theme is “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all”.

Notes:
The 2017 Konark dance festival has started on December 1, 2017 in backdrop of the Sun temple in Konark, Odisha. It is one of the biggest dance festivals held in India. The 5-day dance festival opened near the world famous Sun Temple of Konark with Odissi recital by the dancers of Nupur Dance Academy of Bhubaneswar under the tutelage of Niranjan Rout and group. To attract more foreign tourists to the festival, Odisha Tourism included performances of two foreign dance groups from Malaysia, who will perform classical Indian dance during the festival. Coinciding with the dance festival, International Sand Art Festival has started at Chandrabhaga beach in Konark. Eight international sand sculptors and 62 national artists were being exhibited their works in the festival.

Notes:
The first International exhibition and Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector- AROGYA 2017 has started in New Delhi on December 4, 2017. The 4-day event inaugurated by Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik with theme “Enhancing the global potential of Ayush”. The purpose of the event is to showcase the strength and scientific validation of Indian System of Medicine in the global context. It will also facilitate International promotion, development and recognition of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy. The fair will give a boost to AYUSH Products in International Market. Over 200 Ayush and wellness delegates from over 50 countries are attending the conference. AYUSH is the acronym of the medical systems that are being practiced in India such as Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.

Notes:
India’s first Madame Tussauds wax museum has officially opened in New Delhi with 50 life-like figures spanning across history, sports, music, films, and politics, for the public at the iconic Regal building in central Delhi. The 50 life-like wax figures include multiple national and international celebrities such as Sachin Tendulkar, Mary Kom, Milkha Singh, Lionel Messi, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit Nene, as well as political leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, PM Narendra Modi. This is the 23rd Madame Tussauds attraction globally. It will be open for all seven days with tickets priced at Rs 960 for adults and Rs 760 for children. The timing is 10am to 7.30pm.

Notes:
The United States has pulled out from the UN Global Compact on Migration as it does not meet the policies and principles of the Donald Trump administration. The US has been a part of the non-binding New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants since it was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2016. The declaration called for negotiations on a Global Compact for Migration, aimed at protecting the rights of refugees and migrants and helping them resettle. It also seeks to fight xenophobia, racism and discrimination towards refugees and migrants. Under Trump and his “America First” policies, the United States has withdrawn from several global commitments made under the administration of President Barack Obama, including the Paris climate deal. The US has also withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and UNESCO, the UN organisation which aims to improve education and preserve cultural heritage worldwide.

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The Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary is located in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat at the Gujarat-Rajasthan border and covers an area of about 180 square kilometres. It is home to grey jungle fowl, white-bellied minivet, Indian black ibis, etc. The sanctuary is principally for protection of the sloth bear.

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The Rajasthan government will soon introduce ‘Guru-Shishya’ programme in all districts, under which college students can raise discuss with their teachers the issues and problems related to their institutes. According to state Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari, the programme will be held in one nodal college in each district where students selected on merit and elected members of students union would participate. It will soon begin from Jaipur.

Notes:
Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has launched the UNICEF-ICC’s adolescent campaign “Power of Sports to Shape the Future of Adolescents” in Colombo, Sri Lanka to promote a UNICEF sports initiative for youngsters in South Asia.