By: D.K Choudhary
Kolkata’s Sitalpati Gets place in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage
i. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has registered Sitalpati or cool mat from the Cooch Behar district, West Bengal as an 
“intangible cultural heritage”.
ii. The Sitalpati are the mats that are used for siting or hanging on the doors or windows during summer season. They are made up of weaved green cane slips of murta plants widely found in the region.
iii. The traditional weaving culture of the reagion was facing gradual decline, as a result it was placed in a project by UNESCO “Rural Craft Hub project”.
iv. The project envisages setting up of training, marketing centres and museums in 10 locations across nine districts of the state to help in promoting and marketing crafts famous in the regions to national and international tourists.
British Poet Jacob Polley wins 2016 TS Eliot Prize for Jackself
i. Jacob Polley, a British Poet was Conferred with the 2016 T.S. Eliot prize for poetry at a ceremony at the Wallace Collection gallery in London on January 16, 2017 for his poetry collection “Jackself”.
ii. Jackself is his fourth collection that consists of various poems that is inspired from his childhood in Cumbria, England. Polley is the 23rd winner of the award and received £20,000 ($24,000) prize money.
iii. The selection panel called the book as a “firework of a book”. It was chosen from 10 competeting books.
