 CHAPTER VIII
INDIAN NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR
 COOPERATION WITH UNESCO

The main objectives of the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO are to promote understanding of the aims and policies of UNESCO, disseminate its ideals among the people of India, to serve as a link between UNESCO and institutions working in this country in the fields of education, science, culture and communication, and to function as an advisory body to the Government of India on all matters relating to UNESCO. During the year under review, the Commission actively cooperated with UNESCO in its efforts to promote international understanding and world peace through education, science, culture and mass communication.

Meetings of the Steering Committee of the Indian National Commission for UNESCO.

(i) The Seventh Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Indian National Commission for Unesco was held on 14-4-1973 jointly with the members of the Indian delegation to the 1972 session of Unesco, General Conference. The meeting approved the Report of the Indian delegation to the session of the General Conference of UNESCO held at Paris from October 17 to November 21, 1972. The meeting also discussed a number of other matters concerning the work and programme of the Commission.

(ii) A joint meeting of members of the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with Unesco, members of the Steering Committee of the Commission and members of the Indian delegation to the 1972 General Conference of Unesco was held on 6th September 1973 under the Chairmanship of the Union Education Minister for Social Welfare and Culture. This meeting was also attended by Mr. Rene Maheu, the Director General of Unesco. There was an exchange of views between the members of the Commission and the Director General, Unesco regarding Unesco programmes in India and the role of the Commission.

Publications of the Commission

(a) Journals.-

The Commission brings out a quarterly 'Newsletter' to publicise information about the activities of the Commission and Unesco in India. It also publishes another

journal entitled 'World in the Classroom' to promote education for international understanding. This too is a quarterly publication serving as a forum for dissemination of information on classroom projects in the field of education for international understanding undertaken by the participating institutions.

(b)Indian Languages Editions of UNESCO 'Courier

For the benefit of non-English knowing readers, the Commission continued the publication of the Hindi and Tamil editions of the "Unesco Courier". The Hindi edition is being brought out by the National Book Trust, India, New Delhi, and the Tamil edition by the Southern Languages Book Trust, Madras.

Documentation and Distribution Unit of the Indian National Com- mission for Unesco

(a) The Library and Documentation and Distribution Unit, as in the past, continued to make available copies of the Unesco publications and periodicals as well as the Commission's own pub- lications to institutions, organisations etc. throughout India and abroad. More institutions and organisations were placed on its regular mailing lists. More than 4,000 parcels containing literature and periodicals etc. are issued by this Unit every month. Special kits of materials were assembled and mailed in connection with the celebrations of U.N. Day, Human Hights Day, International Literacy Day etc.

(b) In order to assist Unesco in the project of Cooperative Educational Abstracting Service, the Commission entered into a contract with Unesco for providing abstracts of educational documents and materials from authoritative sources published or unpublished appearing currently in India. It is proposed to send to Unesco ten abstracts under the new contract. The selection of authors and titles for abstracts are under consideration of the Commission.

(c) On the recommendation of an Expert Committee, a few selected-publications have been purchased for distribution among National Commissions of Unesco abroad, institutions participating in the programme of Education for international Understanding and Unesco Clubs in India.

Unesco Clubs

The National Commission has been promoting the establishment of Unesco Clubs in various centres including universities, libraries and educational and cultural institutions. So far 113 such Unesco Clubs have been established throughout the country. These clubs undertake activities to disseminate information about the aims and policies of UNESCO, U.N. etc. and arrange various programmes in the fields of education, science, culture etc. to promote international understanding, cooperation and world peace. The Clubs have been asked to take up action programmes of utility to the communities living in the places where they are located. The Commission has been sending publications, periodicals, and other materials received from Unesco or brought out by the Commission itself to all Unesco Clubs regularly. Special kits of material are sent to these clubs to enable them to celebrate U.N. Day and Human Rights Day in a befitting manner.

Exhibitions

(a) The Nepal National Commission for Unesco sent two sets of Study Kits about different aspects of life and culture of Nepal for display among Unesco Clubs or secondary schools in India. The kits have been placed at the disposal of the Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghathan, New Delhi for display in schools under its control.

(b) The Danish National Commission for Unesco sent 60 sets of study kits about the life and culture of Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland etc. for distribution among different institutions in the country. These kits have been distributed among schools participating in the Programme of Education for International Understanding.

Programme of Education for International Understanding

(a) The participation of about 1000 schools and teacher training institutions in the above programme continued in a fruitful manner during the period under report.

(b) Teachers' Workshops.

-The Organisation of Teachers' workshops to develop curricular and co-curricular activities has continued apace. It is hoped that these workshops will soon cover colleges and Universities also.

Education for International Understanding at Quebec (Canada) from September 29- October 7, 1973, on an invitation from the Canadian National Commission for Unesco.

Recruitment of Indians to Unesco Posts

The Commission continued to assist Unesco in the recruitment of Indians for its Secretariat and field assignments. About 87 Indian nationals recruited by Unesco as experts, officials etc. are working on different assignments all over the world.

Unesco International Coupon Scheme

The Commission continued to operate the UNESCO Coupon Scheme designed to assist institutions and individuals working in the fields of education, science, culture and communication to import books and educational and scientific equipment and material from foreign countries on payment in Indian rupees. Coupons worth Rs. 10.4 lakhs approximately were sold during the year 1973.

Relations with Other National Commissions for UNESCO

On an invitation extended by the Indian National Commission for Unesco, Mr. Mirmohamed Anwar Ali. Secretary, Bangladesh Unesco National Commission visited India from December 20-22, 1973. The purpose of his visit was to meet officials of the Indian National Commission for Unesco and to acquaint himself with the working of the Indian National Commission and its programmes.

Visits of Unesco Officials/Experts/Consultants

During the year under report 3 Unesco Officials/Experts visited India. Their purpose, was mainly to, discuss matters such as operation of the Unesco Coupon Scheme, production and distribution of Unesco information material and Unesco Clubs. Two of them came to finalise the "training programme of Iran Family Planning Communicators in India.

13 Fellows and Experts from other countries also visited India. They were from Japan, Kabul, Mongolia and, Nigeria. They exchanged views and information with their Indian counterparts on the promotion of Unesco activities, and make a study of Idian museums and take photographs of Buddha in Museum in connection with the Unesco Project "Album on the image of

the Buddha. Their, programme also included the study of the Organisational Structure and the Academic Programmes of the Institutes of Technical Teachers Training.

7 Unesco Fellowships-travel grants were offered to Indians during the period for studies and training courses abroad. They ranged from one to nine months duration. The subjects covered were Biological Oceanography, Educational Planning, Marine Biology etc. The selected Fellows went to U.K. and U.S.A. for this purpose.

Indian Participation in UNESCO Sponsored Conferences/Meet- ings/Symposia/Seminars etc.

The Commission arranged Indian participation in the following Unesco sponsored conferences/meetings/symposia/seminars etc.

(1) Regional Seminar on Experts on Population Dynamics and Educational Planning, Bangkok, 10-18 September 1973.

(2) International Meeting of Experts on the Unesco As- sociated Schools Project for promoting Education for International Understanding, held at Levis, Quebec, Canada, from 29 September-7 October 1973.

(3) Unesco Asian Programme of Educational Innovation for Development Meeting at Bangkok from 5-9 November 1973.

(4) Asian Seminar on the Application of Educational Technology, Organised by the Japanese National Com- mission for Unesco in Cooperation with the Unesco Regional Office for Education in Asia at Tokyo from from 28 November to 10 December 1973.

(5) Regional Asian Seminar-on Training Abroad organised by UNESCO in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) from 3 to 8 December, 1973.

(6) International Seminar on Comparative Study on Com- munity Development organised by the Korean National Commission for Unesco in Seoul from 3 to 8 December 1973.

Mr. J. M. Harrison, Assistant Director-General for Science, UNESCO, visited Delhi from the 14th to the 17th May, 1973

and had discussions with the representatives of the Government of India regarding the effectiveness of the UNESCO Field Science Office for South Asia New Delhi, and the measures to be taken to strengthen it.

An important event during the year was the meeting of UNESCO's International Jury for the Mohammd Reza Pahlavi and Nadezhda K. Krupskaya Prizes for meritorious work in the field of adult literacy in India.

The Jury held its session at New Delhi on 27, 28 and 29 August, 1973.

The composition of the Jury was as under:

President:

Hher Imperial Highness Princes Ashraf Pahlavi (Iran).

Members:

(i) H. E. Mr. Ato Akale Work Habtewold, Minister of Justice (Ethiopia).

(ii) Sr. Rodolfo Baron Castro (El Salvador), Secretary General of Ibero-American Bureau of Education (Madrid).

(iii) Mr. James Robbins Kidd, Director of review 'Convergence' Secretary General of the International Council for Adult Education.

(iv) Mr. G. Filinov, Director, Institute of Problems of Education & Academy of Pedagogical Research, Moscow.

The Jury unanimously decided to, award the Mohammed Reza Pahlavi Prize for 1973 to a group of Chilian Educators, viz., Mrs. Emma Espina, Mr. Sergio Arovalo and Mr. Arunulfo Rubilar, and the Nadezhda K. Krupskaya Literary Prize for 1973 to Literacy Project, West Lake Region Tanzania, which is a part of the World Experimental Literacy Programmes, launched by UNESCO and supported by U.N.D.P.

The Jury also decided to award honourable mentions of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi Prize to:

(i) High School Students Associations of Denmark and Norway.

(ii) Mysore State Adult Education Council, India;

(iii) Community Development Centre of Shendi, Sudan; and

(iv) Adult Education Division (Ministry of National Education) Colombia.

Honourable mentions of the Nadezhda K. Krupskaya Prize were also awarded by the Jury to:

(i) the Adult and Community Education Division, Philippines;

(ii) The Anti-illiteracy Programme by Radio in Egypt;

(iii) Ye Koteba Berhane Amin Youth Association, Ethio- pia; and

(iv) the National Federation of Indian Women.

A programme of visits to various Literacy Centres and sight seeing places was arranged for the Members of the Jury at Agra, Jaipur, Bombay, Bangalore and Mysore. A separate programme of, visits for Her Imperial Hghness Princes Ashraf Pehlavi was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Mr. Rene Maheu, Director General of UNESCO, at a special function in Vigyan Bhawan, awarded prizes on International Literacy Day (September 8, 1973) to the Prize-winners. The Union Minister of Education, Social Welfare and Culture, Government of India, presided over the function.

During his visit the Director General of UNESCO also attended a special meeting of the local members of the Indian National Commission for Cooperation, with UNESCO on 6th September, 1973 besides having discussions with the Union Education Minister and some other Ministers and officials of the Government of India in regard to UNESCO matters.

Campaign, to save the Monuments of Borobundur in Indonesia Cultural Relations

The monuments of Borobudur (Indonesia) built in the 9th century A.D. during the regin of the Sailendra Dynasty of Java are now in danger of collapse due to subsidence of foundation, resultant deformation of the lower terraces and location in a seismic area.

Unesco, launched an appeal for voluntary contributions towards the campaign to save the monuments. The project is likely to cost $ 7,750,000. UNESCO proposes to raise an amount equivalent to $5,000,000 through voluntary donations collected from Member States. In response to an appeal received from the Director-General of UNESCO, the Government of India have decided to contribute Rs. 5 lakhs in the form of services and goods of Indian origin towards the campaign to save the monuments of Borobudur.

Contribution for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and UNESCO

The Government of India have decided to make a token gift of indigenous goods such as pencils, scales, exercise books, mathematical instrument boxes, worth about Rs. 15,000 towards the education programme jointly operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and UNESCO,

The Government of India have also agreed to contribute a sum of Rs. one lakh in the form of goods of Indian origin towards the Funds- in-Trust administered by UNESCO for the financing of educational programmes, carried out in collaboration with the Organization of African Unity, for refugees from colonial territories and for other peoples fighting to liberate themselves from colonial domination and all forms of apartheid,

Asian Centre of Educational Innovation for Development in Bangkok

The Government of India have suggested to UNESCO, Paris, that the following institutions in India may be associated with the work of the Asian Centre of Educational Innovation for Development in Bangkok :

(1) National Staff College for Educational Planners and Administrators, New Delhi.

(2) National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi.

A UNESCO Team visited Delhi from the 18th to the 22nd January 1974 and had discussions regarding the area in which these bodies could collaborate with the regional programmes, of the Asian Centre of Educational Innovation for Development.

Participation in Conferences/Meetings

34th Session of the International Conference on Education and Ninth session of the council of International Bureau of Education held at Geneva from 18th to 28the September 1973.

Shri I. D. N. Sahi, Secretary, Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, and Shri J. P. Naik, Member-Secretary, Central Advisory Board of Education, attended the Conference and the meetings of the Council. The Conference discussed an important agenda, including the main trends in Education in the light of the guidelines suggested by UNESCO's International Commission on the development of Education in its Report. The conclusions drawn by Member States on the Commission's Report were discussed and recommendations were adopted for submission to the next UNESCO General Conference.

Extraordinary Session of the UNESCO General Conference

An Extraordinary session of the Unesco General, Conference was held at Paris from the 23rd to 27th October, 1973 to consider the serious financial crisis facing UNESCO due to devaluation of the dollar and progressive inflation. Member countries were asked to vote a supplementary budget of dollars 12.652 million in order to cover the deficit for the biennium 1973-74 (two calendar years),

CHAPTER VIII INDIAN NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR COOPERATION WITH UNESCO