84
Construction of Unesco The Unesco Regional Office of Science and Technology for South and
House Central Asia was set up in 1965 after India agreed to provide the normal
facility of adequate, rent-free, accommodation for the Regional Office. To
meet this long-standing obligation of providing suitable accommodation to
the Regional Office, it is now proposed to construct a new office-building
in New Delhi. A plot of land has already been allotted for the purpose
by the Ministry of Urban Development. The scheme for construction of
Unesco House has been included in the Seventh Five-Year Plan. The
building is proposed to house two, offices of Unesco functioning in India,
viz. (i) the office of the Chief of Unesco Mission in India, and the (ii)
Unesco Regional Office of Science and Technology for South and Central
Asia.
Commonwealth Education The Commonwealth Desk in the Unesco Division of the Ministry
Ministers' Meeting coordinates the work-relating to Commonwealth Secretariat's education
programme.
A meeting of the Commonwealth Education Ministers was held at
Sofia (Bulgaria) on 6th October, 1985 on the eve of the 23rd Session of
the Unesco General Conference. The Indian delegation to the meeting
was led by Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao, Minister of Human Resource Deve-
lopment. The Conference discussed matters relating to (i) Commonwealth
Student Mobility and Higher Education (ii) Tenth Commonwealth Educa-
tion Ministers' Conference to be held in Nairobi in 1987, and (iii) Exchange
of views on Unesco.
Auroville Project In 1980, the Central Government passed an Act called the Auroville
(Emergency Provisions) Act under which the management of Auroville-
an international cultural township, established in South India was vested
in the Central Government for a period of two years. This period was
extended on a year to year basis upto 1985. The Parliament has now
amended this Act. By the Auroville (Emergency Provisions) Amendment
Act 1985, the management of Auroville will continue to vest in the Govern-
ment for another two years from November, 1985.
A scheme for the development of Auroville has been included in the
Seventh Five-Year Plan with a total outlay of Rs. 35.55 lakhs. The scheme
envisages setting up of the following centres at Auroville :
(1) Centre of Child Development
(2) Centre for Indian Studies
(A) Hall of Culture
(B) Hall of History
(3) Centre for Audio-visual Educational Materials
(4) Centre for Development of Physical Education
(5) Centre for Evolutionary Studies
(A) Centre of Human Unity
(B) House of Mother's Agenda
(6) Centre for Urban Development
(7) Community Facilities and Services.
Fourth and Fifth Meetings The fourth meeting of the Auroville International Advisory Council set
of the Auroville International up by the Central Government under the provisions of the Auroville (Emer-
Advisory Council gency Provisions) Act, 1980, was held in May, 1985. The Council
expressed its satisfaction over the steps taken by the Central Government
for the development of Auroville. The fifth meeting of the Auroville Inter-
national Advisory Council was also hold on 4th January, 1986. The meet-
ing reviewed the progress made in the development of Auroville.
85