#world_heritage_sites

👉 In a remarkable decision taken at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee, India’s official nomination for 2024-25 cycle, ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’ got inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India’s 44th property to receive this recognition.

#world_heritage_sites #do_you_know

🔺 India ranks 6th globally and 2nd in Asia Pacific Region for the most number of World Heritage Sites.

🔺 196 nations have ratified the World Heritage Convention, 1972.

🔺 India also has 62 sites in the Tentative List of the World Heritage, which is a mandatory threshold for any site to be considered as a World Heritage property in future.

🔺 Every year, each State Party may propose just one site for consideration of the World Heritage Committee for inscription to the World Heritage List.

🔺 On behalf of Government of India, Archaeological Survey of India is the nodal agency of all the World Heritage related matters in the country.

#world_heritage_sites

🅾 Maratha Military Landscapes of India

👉 44th World Heritage site of India added during 47th session of World Heritage Committee.

👉 Spanning from the 17th to 19th centuries CE, this extraordinary network of twelve forts demonstrates the strategic military vision and architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire.

👉 Spread across the states of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the selected sites, include Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, along with Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.

👉 While Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala fort, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg and Gingee fort are protected under the Archaeological Survey of India whereas Salher fort, Rajgad, Khanderi fort and Pratapgarh are protected by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra.

👉 Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Raigad, Rajgad, and Gingee are situated in hilly terrains and are therefore known as hill forts. Pratapgad, nestled within dense woods, is classified as a hill-forest fort. Panhala, located on a plateaued hill, is a hill-plateau fort. Vijaydurg, positioned along the shoreline, is a notable coastal fort, while Khanderi, Suvarnadurg, and Sindhudurg, surrounded by the sea, are recognized as island forts.

👉 The Maratha Military Landscape of India was nominated under criteria (iv) and (vi), recognizing their exceptional testimony to a living cultural tradition, their architectural and technological significance, and their deep associations with historic events and traditions.

👉 Last year, the Moidams of Charaideo, Assam were inscribed in the World Heritage List at the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi.
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@ias_abhiyan

#schemes_initiatives #tribal_welfare #inclusive_education #social_issues

🅾 TALASH

✔️ The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in partnership with UNICEF India launched TALASH (Tribal Aptitude, Life Skills and Self-Esteem Hub) — a national- program to support the all-round development of students in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs).

✔️ TALASH aims to improve both the education and personal growth of tribal students across India.

✔️ The name TALASH, reflects a focused search for self-awareness, life skills, and career clarity among tribal youth.

✔️ The first initiative of its kind in India is aimed specifically at tribal students.

✔️ It is expected to benefit over 1,38,336 students enrolled in EMRSs across 28 States and 8 Union Territories, making it a truly national movement for inclusive education.
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@ias_abhiyan

#do_you_know #environment

❇️ Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) is a measure used to estimate heat stress on coral reefs, based on how much and how long sea surface temperatures stay above the coral bleaching threshold.

@ias_abhiyan

Armenia has become the newest State Member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the announcement, made during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, underscores Armenia’s growing commitment to advancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

#iucn #environment #prelims2026

🟢 Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) (SBI-8J-1)

✔️ A new subsidiary body, established at COP16 in Colombia’s Cali, is the first permanent UN body dedicated to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).

✔️ This marks a transition from the Article 8(j) working group to a permanent body. It ensures indigenous voices are heard alongside governments and that traditional knowledge shapes policy.

✔️ SB8j is the first permanent UN body dedicated to elevating the role of indigenous peoples and local communities in biodiversity decision-making.

#environment #prelims2026

✔️ The UN-GGIM-AP is one of the five regional committees of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). Representing the National Geospatial Information Agencies of 56 countries in Asia and the Pacific region, it works to maximize the economic, social, and environmental benefits of geospatial information through cooperation, capacity development, and shared solutions.

✔️ UN-GGIM is the apex inter-governmental mechanism for making joint decisions and setting directions with regard to the production, availability and use of geospatial information within national, regional and global policy frameworks.

✔️ UN-GGIM aims to address global challenges regarding the use of geospatial information, including in the development agendas, to serve as a body for global policymaking in the field of geospatial information management.

Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth largest trade partner, and India is Saudi Arabia’s second largest trade partner. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached USD 41.88 billion in 2024–25, with chemicals and petrochemicals contributing 10%, which is nearly USD 4.5 billion.

Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme:

The AEO Programme is a voluntary trade facilitation initiative under the World Customs Organization’s (WCO) SAFE Framework, recognising trusted traders who comply with customs laws and maintain secure international supply chains

More than 80 per cent of the world’s population in multidimensional poverty lives in regions exposed to climate hazards, says the “2025 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index” released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford.

Coal gasification is a transformative technology that converts coal into synthesis gas (syngas), which can be further utilized for the production of value-added products such as methanol, ammonium nitrate, synthetic natural gas, and a range of industrial chemicals. Recognizing its strategic importance, the Government of India has undertaken several policy initiatives and incentive measures to promote coal gasification as a means to enhance energy security, reduce import dependence, and diversify the utilization of domestic coal resources.

#economy #prelims2027