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 ...

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 ..

Experts are returning to Syria's war-ravaged heritage sites, hoping to lay the groundwork for restoring them and reviving tourism, which they say could provide a much-needed boost to the country's decimated economy after nearly 14 years of war. Once-thriving landmarks like the ancient city of Palmyra and the medieval Crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers remain scarred by years of conflict, but local tourists are returning to the sites, and conservationists hope their historical and cultural significance will eventually draw international visitors back. Palmyra One of Syria's six UNESCO World Heritage sites, Palmyra was once a key hub to the ancient Silk Road network linking the Roman and Parthian empires to Asia. Located in the Syrian desert, it is renowned for its 2,000-year-old Roman-era ruins. It is now marked by shattered columns and damaged temples. Before the Syrian uprising that began in 2011 and soon escalated into a brutal civil war, Palmyra was Syria's main tourist ...

Through history, the Mela has held different meanings for ascetics, the colonised, colonisers, and tourists-but all have been moved by its grandeur

The Maharashtra government plans to submit a proposal to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to include the famous Lonar Lake in Buldhana district in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, officials have said. The move aims to elevate the site as a global hub for tourism and research, besides boosting its conservation, they said. Amravati Divisional Commissioner Nidhi Pandey recently met officials from various departments at Lonar to discuss the proposal. This proposal will soon be presented, marking a significant step towards achieving recognition, Pandey told PTI. Buldhana District Collector Kiran Patil said the proposal is in its final stage. "We will submit it once it is polished. Unlike other UNESCO sites, Lonar Lake presents a unique mix of several categories. It is a geographical and scientific wonder, formed from a meteor impact, he said. The official said the lake in Lonar, about 460 km from Mumbai, is home to several temples, some dating back over 1,200 years. The

UNESCO in collaboration with IT Ministry held a stakeholder consultation on safety and ethics in Artificial Intelligence, an official release said on Saturday adding that India aims to craft a policy that envisions 'AI for All'. The event marks the launch of a series of five consultations under the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), an initiative by UNESCO and Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) aimed at crafting an India-specific AI policy report. The report's objective is to identify strengths and growth opportunities within India's AI ecosystem, while providing actionable insights for the responsible and ethical adoption of AI across various sectors, the release said. "India aims to craft an AI policy that envisions 'AI for All' aligning with global ethical standards to promote the responsible and ethical adoption of AI across various sectors," the release said. The UNESCO South Asia Regional Office, in collaboration with MeitY and Ikigai Law as the implementing partn

Twenty-four coastal villages in Odisha were recognised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO as 'Tsunami Ready'. The recognition was given during the 2nd Global Tsunami Symposium held in Indonesia on November 11, a statement said. These villages are located in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam districts, it said. Besides, the Tsunami Ready Recognition Certificates were renewed for two villages in the state. These villages are Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district and Venkatraipur in Ganjam district. They were recognised as Tsunami Ready in 2020. Various activities, including training of stakeholders, community awareness programmes, preparation of tsunami management plans, conducting mock drills and identification of evacuation routes, were done in these 24 tsunami-prone villages, the statement said. Members of the National Tsunami Ready Recognition Board, comprising scientists of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Servi

Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has called on the Indian diaspora in the UK to embrace the Chalo India campaign to encourage more travellers to explore the abundance of tourist sites on offer in the country. During his visit to London for the World Travel Market (WTM) last week, the minister highlighted the Chalo India initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year to support members of the Indian diaspora around the world in showcasing the rich bounty of destinations on offer in India. I feel with this Chalo India campaign you are going to work as travel and tour ambassadors of our great nation, Shekhawat said during a special Indian-themed gathering on the sidelines of WTM. All our diaspora Bharatiya in the UK will be brand ambassadors of this initiative and invite their non-Indian friends to witness new India in all its glory, he said. Shekhawat highlighted his ministry's offer of one lakh gratis e-tourist visas for foreign guests travelling unde

The world celebrates World Science Day every year on November 10, 2024. The theme for this year is 'Why Science Matters - Engaging Minds and Empowering Futures'

The Taliban have deliberately deprived 1.4 million Afghan girls of schooling through bans, a UN agency said Thursday. Afghanistan is the only country in the world with bans on female secondary and higher education. The Taliban, who took power in 2021, barred education for girls above sixth grade because they said it didn't comply with their interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. They didn't stop it for boys and show no sign of taking the steps needed to reopen classrooms and campuses for girls and women. UNESCO said at least 1.4 million girls have been deliberately denied access to secondary education since the takeover, an increase of 3,00,000 since its previous count in April 2023, with more girls reaching the age limit of 12 every year. If we add the girls who were already out of school before the bans were introduced, there are now almost 2.5 million girls in the country deprived of their right to education, representing 80 per cent of Afghan school-age girls, UNESCO said.

There are nearly 60 properties in India which find a place in the Tentative List for further inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, according to information shared by the government in Parliament on Monday. A Tentative List is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) is being held in New Delhi from July 21 to July 31. India is hosting the key event of UNESCO for the first time. The mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam -- 'Moidams' -- was on July 26 inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the first cultural property from the Northeast to get the coveted tag. 'Moidams' was submitted as India's nomination for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2023-24. The site was put in the Tentative List of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2014. In a written response to a query in Lok Sabha, Union Culture

Taking a day off from their busy schedule, several delegates of the ongoing session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) on Sunday visited the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Qutb Minar and other cultural sites in and around Delhi. The 46th session of the WHC is being held in New Delhi from July 21 to July 31. India is hosting the key event of UNESCO for the first time. Over 2,000 international and national delegates from more than 150 countries are participating in the meeting, the Culture Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. After a week of marathon discussions and scrutinising numerous nominations in conference halls, the delegates and committee members enjoyed a day out exploring the sights, cuisine, and vibrant culture of Delhi and its neighbouring areas on Sunday. Requests were put in by some of the committee members that delegates would like to have a day off to enjoy sightseeing of heritage sites, the ministry said. To make the stay of WHC delegates memorable, the Archaeological

"A certificate programme in world heritage management has also started in India for young professionals," he added

Climate related stressors like heat, wildfires, floods, droughts, diseases and rising sea levels affect education outcomes and threaten to undo educational gains of recent decade, according to the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM). The global report compiled by UNESCO, Monitoring and Evaluating Climate Communication and Education (MECCE) project and University of Saskatchewan in Canada has pointed out that most low and middle-income countries are experiencing climate-related school closures every year, increasing chances of learning loss and dropout. "Climate change related impacts are already disrupting education systems and outcomes. Direct effects include the destruction of education infrastructure as well as injuries and loss of life among students, parents and school staff. Climate change has a negative impact on education indirectly through its displacement of people and the effects on people's livelihoods and health," the report said. "Over the past 20 years, schools .

The mid-year summit of the GPAI members welcomed Serbia as incoming chair of grouping

Kozhikode in north Kerala, known for its rich cultural heritage, was on Sunday officially declared as India's first UNESCO 'City of Literature'. In October 2023, Kozhikode had earned a place in the 'Literature' category of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). State Local Self Government Department (LSGD) Minister, M B Rajesh, on Sunday in an official event here announced the achievement of Kozhikode which earned the place in the 'Literature' category of the UCCN. Rajesh described Kozhikode as a city with a soul, characterised by humanity, harmony, a strong sense of justice and freedom of expression. "These core values have given birth to the vibrant art of Kozhikode," Rajesh said. The minister said the efficient functioning of the Kozhikode city corporation played a major role in bagging the 'City of Literature' tag from UNESCO after beating cities with rich cultural history like Kolkata. The state government also announced that from coming year, June 23 will be celebrated

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that the central government is working towards making the country's higher education system more advanced and research-oriented. Modi, while inaugurating the new Nalanda University campus here, called upon students to always remain curious and courageous. Nalanda is a symbol of India's academic heritage and vibrant cultural exchange. It is not just a renaissance of India's past, but the heritage of many countries are linked to this place, he said. Our government is working towards making the country's higher education system more advanced and research-oriented. I am confident that our youth will provide leadership to the entire world in the future, Modi said. The prime minister said he wants India to become a global hub for knowledge and education. On an average, one university has come up in the country every week in the last 10 years, Modi added. Before inaugurating the new campus, the PM visited the Nalanda Mahavihara', a UNES

International Day of Mathematics is celebrated every year to spread awareness about the importance of mathematics in daily life and solving real-world problems

International Women's Day 2024: The world celebrates this day to promote women's rights and equality. It is an opportunity to acknowledge women's equality and progress

At the 19th extraordinary session (Unesco, 2023), the World Heritage Committee decided that its 46th session will take place in India