Which of the following statements with regard to the first-ever BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival are correct? 1. It was hosted at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi under the core theme of SaptaSur: Seven Nations, One Melody. 2. The event was organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations under the administrative aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs. Select the correct answer using the code given below: |ForumIAS

[A] 1 only

[B] 2 only

[C] Both 1 and 2

[D] Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Notes:

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The inaugural BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival brought together classical and folk musicians from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, under the unifying theme SaptaSur.
Statement 2 is correct: The event was organized by the ICCR under India’s Ministry of External Affairs. It fulfilled a diplomatic commitment made during the 2025 regional summit, using cultural exchange as a soft-power tool to strengthen ties among the bay-of-bengal nations.