India Hosts UNESCO’s 20th ICH Session

India Hosts UNESCO’s 20th ICH Session

 

 

India will host the 20th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage from 8 to 13 December 2025 at the Red Fort in New Delhi. This is the first time the session will be held in India, and the event aligns with the twentieth anniversary of India’s ratification of the 2003 Convention. The venue, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, symbolically brings together tangible and intangible heritage.

 

The 2003 Convention, adopted during UNESCO’s 32nd General Conference in Paris, was established to address global concerns about the vulnerability of living cultural traditions under pressures such as globalisation, rapid social change and limited resources. The Convention recognises that communities, including indigenous groups and traditional practitioners, play the central role in preserving and transmitting intangible heritage. It seeks to safeguard practices, rituals, performing arts, festive events, craftsmanship, oral traditions and knowledge systems that shape cultural identity.

 

The Intergovernmental Committee functions as the primary body responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of the Convention. Its responsibilities include promoting the objectives of the Convention, reviewing best practices, recommending safeguarding measures, overseeing the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, drafting operational directives, assessing periodic reports submitted by States Parties and examining requests for inscription on various heritage lists. It also evaluates requests for international assistance and prepares plans for the Fund’s utilisation. India has already served three terms on the Committee.

 

By hosting the 20th session, India aims to present its heritage safeguarding framework, which emphasises institutional support, sustained documentation, national inventory efforts and direct involvement of communities. The session provides a platform to strengthen international cultural cooperation through joint nominations, shared safeguarding initiatives, capacity-building programmes and technical collaboration. It also offers an opportunity to enhance global visibility for India’s traditional practices, local crafts, regional festivals and community-based knowledge systems. The event encourages domestic initiatives such as documentation, youth engagement, preparation of nomination dossiers and revitalisation of cultural expressions.

 

India’s intangible heritage represents a wide spectrum of traditions embedded in social customs, ritual practices, performing arts, festive celebrations, oral literature and craftsmanship. Fifteen Indian elements have been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List, including Kutiyattam, Chhau, Ramlila, Vedic chanting, Buddhist chanting in Ladakh, Sankirtana, Kalbelia dance, Durga Puja, Garba, Kumbh Mela, Yoga, Novruz (shared), Ramman and the metalcraft of the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru. For the current cycle, India has nominated Chhath Mahaparva and Diwali.

 

To strengthen preservation efforts, the Ministry of Culture has implemented the Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India. The scheme supports documentation, inventory creation, preparation of UNESCO nomination dossiers, training programmes, capacity building, workshops, performances, dissemination initiatives and integration of cultural knowledge into education. It extends assistance to practitioners, researchers, universities, cultural organisations and state institutions. The Sangeet Natak Akademi contributes significantly through awareness programmes, training workshops and promotion of performing arts traditions.

 

India’s intangible heritage contributes to social cohesion, cultural continuity, livelihood generation and intergenerational knowledge transmission. It sustains the crafts economy, supports performing communities, strengthens cultural identity and enhances tourism potential. It also plays a major role in cultural exchange and strengthens the nation’s cultural presence abroad. Hosting the 20th session underscores India’s long-standing commitment to heritage preservation and offers an opportunity to influence global discourse on safeguarding living traditions.

 

The upcoming session is expected to deepen international collaboration, highlight India’s diverse cultural expressions and reinforce efforts to ensure that traditional knowledge, practices and art forms continue to thrive for future generations.

 

 

MCQ:

 

1. The venue selected for hosting the 20th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage is:
2. Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi
3. Red Fort, New Delhi
4. City Palace, Jaipur
5. Golconda Fort, Hyderabad

 

2. The 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted during UNESCO’s General Conference held in:
3. Geneva
4. Paris
5. Rome
6. Vienna

 

3. The 20th session of the ICH Committee coincides with:
4. India’s independence centenary
5. India’s first ICH inscription anniversary
6. Twentieth anniversary of India’s ratification of the 2003 Convention
7. Fiftieth anniversary of UNESCO’s creation

 

4. Under the 2003 Convention, safeguarding intangible heritage places primary importance on:
5. National governments alone
6. Private organisations
7. Communities and practitioners
8. Commercial sponsors

 

5. Which of the following is NOT a function of the Intergovernmental Committee?
6. Monitoring implementation of the Convention
7. Approving World Heritage Sites
8. Drafting operational directives
9. Evaluating nomination requests for ICH Lists

 

6. India has served on the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding ICH for:
7. One term
8. Two terms
9. Three terms
10. Four terms

 

7. The Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Heritage and Diverse Cultural Traditions of India is implemented by:
8. Ministry of External Affairs
9. Ministry of Culture
10. Ministry of Education
11. NITI Aayog

 

8. The Sangeet Natak Akademi plays a key role primarily in:
9. Archaeological excavation
10. Promoting capacity building and awareness for ICH
11. Trade facilitation measures
12. Managing national archives

 

9. Which of the following is among India’s nominations for UNESCO’s ICH List for the current cycle?
10. Holi and Onam
11. Chhath Mahaparva and Diwali
12. Bihu and Pongal
13. Rath Yatra and Guruparv

 

10. Which Indian element is included on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage?
11. Kathakali murals of Kerala
12. Garba of Gujarat
13. Terracotta temples of Bishnupur
14. Ajanta cave paintings

 

11. The 2003 Convention addresses threats arising from:
12. Climate treaties
13. Globalisation and rapid social change
14. International trade barriers
15. Radioactive pollution

 

12. The Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund is primarily used for:
13. Military support
14. Global economic reforms
15. Safeguarding measures and international assistance
16. Infrastructure development

 

13. The Red Fort was chosen as the session venue because it symbolises:
14. Technological progress
15. Convergence of tangible and intangible heritage
16. India’s maritime strength
17. Expansion of trade routes

 

14. The Ministry of Culture’s ICH scheme supports:
15. Patent registration for industries
16. Documentation, inventory creation and training for ICH practitioners
17. Agricultural mechanisation
18. Space technology missions

 

15. Elements such as Kutiyattam, Chhau dance, and Vedic chanting represent:
16. Modern industrial practices
17. Living cultural traditions inscribed under UNESCO’s ICH framework
18. Geological formations of India
19. Intangible assets in financial markets