Unesco

BS Samriddhi: Infrastructure being set up for various sectors, say experts

Consistent policy reforms are helping industries, say experts

From Maha Kumbh to Vande Mataram at 150: India celebrates culture in 2025

From the Maha Kumbh in January-February to the launch of year-long celebrations of 150 years of "Vande Mataram" in November -- it was a packed calendar for the Ministry of Culture in 2025. The year ended on a high note with Deepavali, the festival of lights, earning the UNESCO tag. India's cultural heritage was showcased at the Maha Kumbh through 'Kalagram' in the tent city at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Set up in a sprawling 10.24-acre area, 'Kalagram' was designed as a sensory odyssey that brought together tangible and intangible aspects of India's cultural heritage. Besides, the Maha Kumbh logo was projected on various centrally protected monuments to mark the occasion. In the year gone by, the Ministry of Culture kicked off year-long celebrations to mark 150 years of the national song, "Vande Mataram", in November, celebrated the 300th birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar with a grand function in Bhopal, and the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel across the ...

Deepavali added to Unesco's heritage list, PM Modi hails global recognition

Unesco's recognition affirms Deepavali as a living tradition that reinforces social cohesion, nurtures traditional craftsmanship, and upholds values of wellbeing, generosity and community spirit

After Unesco tag for Lucknow, Yogi bats for One District, One Cuisine in UP

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday floated the idea of "One District, One Cuisine" to promote food from across the state globally, after Lucknow's recent induction into UNESCO's Creative Cities Network, under the 'Gastronomy' category. He said the global honour was not only for Lucknow, but also for the diverse cuisine of Uttar Pradesh. In a post on X, Adityanath said in the context of the capital city's selection, the diverse cuisine of the state and its unique flavours need to be introduced to the world. "Take a journey through the world of flavours around you or take a photo or video of your home-cooked dishes and share them on social media with #OneDistrictOneCuisine," he said. The chief minister said every district in the state keeps its culture, pride, and history alive with its unique taste. "Lucknow's chaat, malaio of Banaras, Meerut's gajak, sohan halwa of Banda, baalushahi of Baghpat, Agra's petha, Mathura's perhaa, Moradabadi daal, kurchhan of ...

How Galouti Kabab, Makhan Malai put Lucknow on the global cities map

Lucknow has been officially inducted into UNESCO's CCN under the 'Gastronomy' category, marking a major global recognition of its rich culinary heritage

UN meet to focus on Donald Trump's return, Gaza war, Ukraine conflict

"Geopolitical divides widening. Conflicts raging. Impunity escalating. Our planet overheating," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said

India's seven more properties added to tentative list of Unesco heritage

Seven new properties, including Deccan Traps at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, and Natural Heritage of Tirumala Hills in Andhra Pradesh, have been added to the Tentative List of UNESCO's World Heritage for India, according to officials. The Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO said the addition of these properties highlight India's "commitment to the preservation and conversation of its rich cultural heritage". In a post on X on September 12, India at UNESCO, said, "The Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO is happy to announce that India's 7 properties have been added to the Tentative List of UNESCO's World Heritage Convention." These seven properties under the natural category include Deccan Traps at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra); Geological Heritage of St Mary's Island Cluster (Udupi, Kamataka); Meghalayan Age Caves (East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya); Naga Hill Ophiolite (Kiphire, Nagaland), the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO said in a ...

Trump exits UN cultural body UNESCO again, calls it 'woke, divisive'

The move is in line with the Trump administration's broader "America-first" foreign policy

US to leave UN's cultural body UNESCO again, citing bias against Israel

The US will leave UNESCO again by end-2026, citing "anti-Israel bias," just two years after rejoining under Biden, marking its third exit and second under a Trump administration

Indians elated with Unesco tag for 'Maratha Military Landscapes': PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the inscription of 'Maratha Military Landscapes' on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and said every Indian is elated with this recognition. 'Maratha Military Landscapes', representing extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers, was on Friday inscribed on the coveted list. This is India's 44th property to receive the recognition. In a post on X, Modi said, "When we speak of the glorious Maratha Empire, we associate it with good governance, military strength, cultural pride and emphasis on social welfare. The great rulers inspire us with their refusal to bow to any injustice." "Every Indian is elated with this recognition. These 'Maratha Military Landscapes' include 12 majestic forts, 11 of which are in Maharashtra and 1 is in Tamil Nadu," he added. Modi called upon everyone to visit these forts and learn about the rich history of the Maratha Empire. On the latest addition to the World Heritage List

Three African sites removed from the Unesco world heritage 'in danger' list

The World Heritage Committee has removed three African heritage sites -- in Madagascar, Egypt and Libya -- from UNESCO's list of endangered sites, acknowledging successful efforts to mitigate threats and restore their cultural and ecological integrity. The decision was taken on July 9 during the ongoing 47th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Paris, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said in a statement on Wednesday. It said these removals are the result of extensive efforts by states parties, with UNESCO's support, to significantly reduce threats to these sites. The sites taken off the danger list are the Rainforests of the Atsinanana in Madagascar, Abu Mena in Egypt, and the Old Town of Ghadams in Libya. "When sites are removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, it is a great victory for all. For the countries and communities directly concerned, for UNESCO and, more broadly, for the shared heritage of humanity," Direct

SC denies plea challenging Bodh Gaya Temple Act; asks petitioner to move HC

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea challenging the vires of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949, and asked the petitioner to approach the concerned high court. The Mahabodhi temple complex in Bihar's Bodh Gaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the four holy areas related to the life of Lord Gautam Buddha. Bodh Gaya is a place where Lord Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment. A plea challenging the vires of the 1949 Act came up for hearing before a bench of Justices M M Sundresh and K Vinod Chandran. The bench asked the petitioner's counsel about the prayer sought in the plea. "I (petitioner) have prayed that the Bodh Gaya Temple Act should be annulled as ultra vires," the counsel said. The bench said the petitioner should approach the concerned high court. "Why don't you do it before the high court?" the bench asked. "We are not inclined to entertain the petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. However, liberty is given to the ..

Unesco working with India on AI's impact on socio-economic issues: Official

The UNESCO is working with India on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in addressing social and economic issues with technological innovation as New Delhi prepares to host the global summit on AI impact early next year, an official said on Friday. India is a shining star for the rest of the world in terms of digital transformation and in terms of addressing some of the social and economic issues with technological innovation and the right policy, said Irakli Khodeli, Head of Ethics of AI Unit, Social and Human Sciences Sector, UNESCO. The world is looking up to India to learn about that. It would be a significant part of the next year's summit as well, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) official told PTI here at the "Third UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI 2025. UNESCO, which has 193 countries as members, held the first summit in 2023 in the UK and the second in 2024 in South Korea on AI Safety. The event was held in Paris in

Only 60% nations have standards for food, beverages in schools: Unesco

"Most school meal programmes have education goals, alongside nutrition, health and social protection objectives. However, fewer programmes focus on preventing or mitigating obesity," the report read

Bhagavad Gita and Natyasastra join Unesco's Memory of the World Register

The inclusion of Bhagavad Gita and Nāṭyaśāstra in Unesco's Memory of the World Register brings its total number of inscribed collections to 570, and India's contributions in it to 14

Singapore Sling! The city-state offers a mix of old and new effortlessly

Singapore is a seamless blend of modern urban sophistication with lush, accessible green spaces and rich cultural diversity. Visit Singapore if you are looking for a safe and secure country to travel

Former Maoist bastion in Chhattisgarh bags prestigious Unesco tag

This is the first time that a site in Chhattisgarh has been included in the prestigious list of Unesco sites

India adds six properties to tentative list for Unesco recognition

A set of six properties -- including some considered serially, such as Ashokan Edict Sites and Chausath Yogini Temples spread across multiple states -- have been added to India's tentative list by the UNESCO's World Heritage Centre. These sites were added to the list on March 7, the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO said in a statement. India at UNESCO shared the statement on microblogging site X, late on Thursday. Addition to the World Heritage Centre's tentative list is mandatory if a property is to be nominated for inscription to the World Heritage List in future, it said. The six properties added to the tentative list include Kanger Valley National Park in Chhattisgarh; Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs in Telangana; serial nomination of Ashokan Edict Sites along the Mauryan Routes (multiple states); serial nomination of Chausath Yogini Temples (multiple states); serial nomination of Gupta Temples in north India (multiple states), and the palace-fortresses of the Bundelas in Mad

40% population doesn't have access to education in their language: Unesco

Forty per cent of the global population does not have access to education in a language they speak or understand, according to UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring (GEM) team. Despite countries' growing understanding of the role of home language, policy uptake remains limited. Implementation challenges include limited teacher capacity to use home languages, unavailability of materials in home languages and community opposition, it said. In some low- and middle-income countries, this figure rises to 90 per cent. More than a quarter of a billion learners are affected, GEM officials said, recommending nations to implement multilingual education policies and practices with the goal of creating educational systems that benefit all learners. The team, which has come up with a report titled "Languages matter: Global guidance on multilingual education", noted that as migration increases, linguistic diversity is becoming a global reality and classrooms with learners from diverse language ...

Maha delegation in Paris to seek Unesco tag for Shivaji Maharaj's forts

A high-level delegation led by Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar is in Paris to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for 12 forts of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, an official said on Sunday. As per an official statement from Shelar's office, the Maharashtra government has submitted a proposal to UNESCO under the theme 'Maratha Military Landscape of India', seeking the inclusion of 12 forts in the World Heritage list. The forts of Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Panhala, Shivneri, Lohagad, Salher, Sindhudurg, Suvarnadurg, Vijaydurg, Khanderi and Jinji in Tamil Nadu have been included in the proposal, the statement said. On the directives of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a delegation left for Paris on Saturday to present the state's case for UNESCO recognition. Shelar expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for forwarding Maharashtra's proposal to UNESCO and Fadnavis for giving him the responsibility of representing the state on the global ..