ForumIAS announcing GS Foundation Program for UPSC CSE 2025-26 from 26th June. Click Here for more information.
What is the News?
Archaeological Survey of India has submitted nine sites for their inclusion in the tentative list of UNESCO. Recently the UNESCO has accepted six of the nine sites.
Which are those six sites? The six Indian sites included in the UNESCO Tentative list are:
- Ganga ghats in Varanasi, U.P.
- Temples of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.
- Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh,
- Maratha military architecture in Maharashtra
- Hire Bengal megalithic site in Karnataka and
- Bhedaghat-Lameta Ghat of Narmada Valley in Madhya Pradesh.
What is the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites?
- Firstly, If a state considers a monument/site has cultural and/or natural heritage of outstanding universal value and therefore suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List. Then the state prepares a list of such sites and sends it to UNESCO. The UNESCO after preliminary inspection accepts/rejects the monument and form a tentative list.
- Secondly, a position on a country’s tentative list does not automatically tender that site with world heritage status.
- Thirdly, it is mandatory to put any monument/site on the Tentative List (TL) before it is considered for the final nomination dossier.
- Fourthly, the sites will remain on the tentative list for a year, after which the government will decide which one of them to push for in their final dossier to UNESCO.
- Lastly, the tentative list is extremely important. This is because the World Heritage Committee cannot consider a nomination for the World Heritage List unless the property has already been included on the State party’s tentative list.
What is a World Heritage Site?
- A World Heritage site is classified as a natural or man-made area or a structure that is of international importance and requires special protection.
- These sites are officially recognised by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation also known as UNESCO.
- At present, India has 38 World Heritage Sites. These include 30 Cultural properties, 7 Natural properties and 1 mixed site.
Source: The Hindu
