World Heritage Day

April 19, 2022

296

In News

About World Heritage Day

In 1982, The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) proposed that April 18 should be observed as the World Heritage Day.
- Later, the date was approved by UNSECO at the 22nd General Conference in 1983.
It is an internationally recognised day to protect and preserve monuments and historical sites and the rich inheritance associated with them.
2022 Theme: “Heritage and Climate”
Aims :
- It is aimed at enhancing knowledge about cultural heritage and monuments and sensitising people to conserve them.
  - Hence, this day has also been called The International Day for Monuments and Sites.
Significance:
- It is observed to celebrate national heritage. The day also creates international solidarity to strengthen and safeguard historical and cultural sites.
- It also intends to recognize the efforts of all people like architects, engineers, geographers, civil engineers, artists and archaeologists, who contribute towards conserving the heritage.

Additional Information

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has a total of 1,154 monuments designated as world heritage sites from all over the world.
India has added 10 more of its sites to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list since 2014, taking our total to 40.
- Apart from India only Italy, Spain, Germany, China and France have 40 or more World Heritage sites. This provides huge potential to India to attract a large number of foreign travellers to India.
Steps taken by India
- Making India a hub of heritage tourism
  - Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has created an online portal for Indian Heritage Sites/Monuments with a “Must See” List that features outstanding monuments under its protection.

‘Adopt a Heritage’ Scheme
- Aimed at enhancing the tourism experience of travellers that visit our heritage monuments, this scheme upgraded amenities at the sites.

World class Institutes
- The government has decided to set up ‘Indian Institute of Heritage’ at Noida to focus on conservation and research in India’s rich tangible heritage.

Preserving Himalayan and Buddhist Cultural Heritage
- Centre administers ‘Scheme of Financial Assistance for the Preservation and Development of Cultural Heritage of the Himalayas’ that provides 10 lakh per year to schools or colleges to study and research on Himalayan cultural heritage.

The government also runs a ‘Scheme of Financial Assistance for the Development of Buddhist/ Tibetan Culture and Art’ to give financial assistance to the voluntary Buddhist or Tibetan organisations engaged in the propagation and scientific development of Buddhist or Tibetan culture, tradition and research in related fields.