UNESCO AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
16.1.0 since the inception of United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), India has been in the forefront in promoting the ideals and objectives of the organisation. The Indian National Commission for Cooperation with Unesco (INC) set up in 1949 in compliance with Article 7 of the Constitution of Unesco, is the APEX advisory, executive, liaison, information and coordinating body at the national level. The INC has been playing an ever increasing role in Unesco's work particularly in the formulation and execution of its programme not only by collaborating with National Commissions of Asia and Pacific region but also extending effective cooperation to Unesco's Regional Offices and Centres in all its areas of competence, namely, Education, Science, Culture and Communication.
Asia-Pacific Programme for Educational Innovations for Development
(APEID) 16.2.0 As one of the promoters of Unesco's Regional Programme of Educational Innovations for Development for Asia and the Pacific (APEID), India has consistently supported this programme and has actively participated in APEID programmes and activities. At national level, a National Development Group (NDG) for APEID in India has been set up which functions as an identifier, stimulater and coordinator of activities of educational innovation for development within the country. The NDG, which is headed by Secretary, Department of Education, comprises of representatives of concerned Ministries and Departments and pioneering institutions engaged in educational research. On the lines of NDG, State Development Groups (SDGs) have also been established in States and Union Territories which function in close collaboration with the National Development Group. National Council-of Educational Research and Training, one of the principal Associate Centres of APEID, which, interalia acts as the Secretariat of NDG, facilitates dissemination of information about APEID, activities, innovative experiences at the regional level and making outcomes of the regional cooperation within APEID known widely in the country.
Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL) 16.3.1 Another important regional programme of Unesco in which India has contributed significantly is the Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL) which was launched from New Delhi by Unesco in 1987. With an overriding concern to wipe out illiteracy from the face of the earth by the year 2000, Unesco designated 1990 as the International Literacy Year (ILY) to focus global attention on the need to initiate, promote and consolidate measures for eradication of illiteracy completely by the year 2000. The high level National Coordination Committee, set up by India under APPEAL and ILY met on 18th May, 1990 under the Chairmanship of Education Secretary.
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16.3.2 India extended its cooperation to Unesco and its Regional Offices in numerous workshops, symposia and conferences, organising national, regional and inter-regional activities in India in areas of competence of UNESCO, arranging placement of Unesco fellows in Indian Institutions, implementing projects under the Participation Programme of Unesco, administration of Unesco Coupons Scheme. Public information activities relating to Unesco continued to be operated in the form of publication of Hindi and Tamil Edition of UNESCO Courier.
A brief resume of activities undertaken during the year is given below:-
Forty-second of the International Conference on Education. Geneva,
3-8 September, 1990.16.4.1 An Indian delegation led by Shri Anil Bordia, Education Secretary attended the 42nd Session of the 'International Conference on Education held at Geneva from September, 3-8, 1990.
16.4.2 The principal theme of the Conference was 'Education for All - Renewed Policies and Strategies for the 1990's. The other themes were related to the struggle against illiteracy through universal primary education and adult education operational aspects emphasizing the active participation of the learner. Shri Anil Bordia, Education Secretary was elected Chairman for the 42nd Session of the International Conference of Education.
16.4.3 At the 32nd Session of the Council of the International Bureau of Education held in March, 1990 at Jomtien, Shri Anil Bordia, Secretary to the Government, Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, was elected unanimously to the prestigious office of the President of the Council. since 1934, this is the first time that an Asian has been elected to this office.
Thirty-Third Session of the Council of the International Bureau of
Education 16.5.0 The 33rd Session of the Council of the IBE, Geneva was held on 3rd and 8th September, 1990. This session was attended by Shri Anil Bordia, Education Secretary and Smt. Kiran Dhingra, Director, Department of Education.
Eleventh Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers. 16.6.0 The 11th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers was held at Barbados from 29th October to 2nd November, 1990. An Indian delegation comprising of Shri Abhimanyu Singh, Director, Department of Education and Shri B. Ghose acting High Commissioner of India at Barbadeos attended the Conference. Shri Abhimanyu
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Singh also attended the meeting of senior officials of the Commonwealth countries which was held on 28th October, 1990.
International Covenant on Educational, Social and Cultural Rights -
Presentation of the report 16.7.0 Shri S. Gopalan, Additional Secretary, Department of Education, presented India's report on the implementation of Articles 13 to 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights before a UN Committee on 25th January, 1990 at Geneva.
Meeting of the National Coordination Committee on APPEAL and ILY 16.8.0 The 5th Meeting of the National Coordination Committee on APPEAL and ILY was held on 18th May, 1990. The Meeting took stock of the significant events/steps taken up for furtherence of the objectives of the ILY which were reported by the Director-General, National Literacy Mission Authority. The Committee also chalked out the goals and objectives which were envisaged to be achieved during the International Literacy Year and operational strategies which should be given serious consideration for the success of the programme of Education for All and the celebration of Literacy Day. In addition to this, the document 'Education for All by 2000 - Indian Perspective' and "Bihar Education Project" which were distributed at the World Conference of Education for All held at Jomtien (Thailand) on 10-12 March, 1990 were considered at length and suggestions were made for implementation of the Programme of Education for All.
Training Workshop of Directors or Specialists involved in the
training of Administrators in the Asian Region. 16.9.1 The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, New Delhi, under con-tract with Unesco, arranged a meeting of the Working Group of the Senior Directors incharge of Training Programme or Centres for Cultural Administrations from various countries at Jaipur on 23-27 April, 1990. The focus of the Working Group was on:
i) Study and evaluation of extending training programmes for administrators;
ii) Evaluation of changes brought out from available data,both from Unesco and from member countries consequent to the Unesco sponsored programmes of 1984 and 1986;
iii) Preparation of training modules especially to enable the decision makers to become aware of the cultural dimensions of their tasks and the training methods that were most appropriate for the participating countries; and
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iv) Consideration of aspects of joint training facilities and exchange of personnel between member countries for incorporating content and methodologies.
16.9.2 A number of participants from Unesco and other countries participated in the Working Group Meeting.
Sub Regional Seminar on Innovative Measures for over-coming
Socioeconomic obstacles to Primary School Attendance.16.10.0 In collaboration with Unesco's Principal Regional Office of Education for Asia and the Pacific (PROAP), Bangkok, a Sub-Regional Seminar on Innovative Measures for overcoming Socioeconomic obstacles to Primary School Attendance was held In Pune from 5th to 13th December, 1990. The objectives of the Seminar were to:
(a) analyse and review experience, relevant information and data related to primary school attendance patterns in different socioeconomic environment, particularly in rural areas;
(b) share and exchange experiences of innovative programmes and projects designed to improve primary school attendance and reduce incidence of early primary leavers;
(c) analyse, review and evaluate the experiences of participating countries with regard to the provision of work oriented primary education for early school leavers and disadvantaged population groups; and
(d) suggest and formulate viable policy measures and strategies for over-coming socioeconomic obstacles and improving Primary School Attendance in rural areas.
16.10.1 Twelve persons from different countries participated in deliberations of the Seminar in additional to experts from India.
Workshop on Development Activity in Science and Technology
Education at Primary and Lower Secondary Levels. 16.11.1 The National Council for Educational Research and Training, under contract with Unesco, organised a Workshop on Development Activity in Science and Technology Education at Primary and Lower Secondary Level at the Regional College of Education, Ajmer from 12 to 21st June, 1990. The objectives of the Seminar were to produce illustrated national specified handbook for the training of Primary and Lower Secondary teachers in the areas of:
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(i) Science process skills (such as-observing, classifying, measuring, communicating, predicting, inferring, defining operationally, interpreting, making and testing hypotheses and controlling variables);
(ii) application of learning in rural-life situations, including problem solving; and
(iii) values and ethics related to science of importance to life, and those to be applied to the products of science.
16.11.2 About thirty experts including members of College Faculty participated in Seminar.
Workshop on Identifying Primary/Lower Secondary Level Science
Curriculum specification derived from Real life Experiences of
learners 16.12.1 The Indian National Commission for Cooperation with Unesco, under contract with Unesco, arranged a Regional Operational Workshop on Identifying Primary/Lower Secondary Level Science Curriculum specifications derived from rural life experience of learners, in collaboration with Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training, Pune from 26th to 29th June, 1990 and from 5th to 7th July, 1990. The objectives of the Regional Operational Workshop were to :-
(a) Identify natural and scientific phenomena experienced by children of their work situations; and
(b) analyse their implications for future new strategies in curriculum development in science education, that emphasize learner relevance and the mobilizing of previously under-utilised resources in the learning situations. The critical inputs required for the Workshop were -
i) examples for work situations in which children were engaged (recorded on Videos)
(ii) content analysis of the science embedded in the experiences of these work situations.
16.12.2 About 21 participants from various institutions participated in the said Workshop.
Participation by India in other.Conferences/Meetings/Workshops/
Working Groups sponsored by Unesco.6.13.1 Indian experts represented the Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development in the following workshops, training courses, seminars, working group meetings etc. sponsored by Unesco or its Regional Offices :
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Regional Workshop on Reforms in Lower Secondary Science Education held at Kathmandu (Nepal) form 12th to 21st March, 1990.
Planning Meeting on Asian/Pacific Programme of Materials for Neo-Literates in Rural Areas organised in Tokyo from 12th to 15th March, 1990.
Regional Consultative Seminar on Population Education at Bangkok from 21st to 28th May, 1990.
Information Meeting for New Secretaries of National Commissions for Unesco held in Paris from 11th to 20th June, 1990.
Regional Seminar on Computers in Education held in Tokyo from 13th to 27th June, 1990.
Asia and Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) Regional Symposium on Qualities Required of Education Today to Meet Foreseeable Demands in the Twenty-First Century, Bangkok (Thailand) from 16th to 18th August, 1990.
Twelveth Regional Consultation and Programme Development Meeting on the Asia and Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) Chiang Mai (Thailand) from 20th to 31st August, 1990.
Population Education Technical Exchange Programme in South Asian Countries held at Islamabad from 8th to 13 October, 1990.
Second Meeting for Regional Coordination of APPEAL organised in Bangkok from 23rd to 27th October, 1990.
Expert Group Meeting on Development of Materials in Population Education in Kathmandu from 3rd to 7th December, 1990.
Regional Workshop on Teacher Education Reforms in Science Education held at 'Penang (Malaysia) from 3rd to 14th December, 1990.
16.13.2 In addition to the above mentioned meetings the Indian National Commission nominated experts to participate in about 34 national, regional, international meetings, workshops, seminars, conferences etc. convened by or under the auspices of Unesco. During the year under review, the Commission also continuted to arrange placements of Unesco's fellows including study visits to various institutions in India.
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Executive Board of Unesco 16.14.0 Shri N. Krishna, Member, Executive Board of Unesco attended the 134th and 135th Sessions of the Executive Board of Unesco held in Paris from 9th to 18th May, 1990 and from 8th to 22nd October, 1990, respectively.
Contribution to.Unesco's Budget 16.15.0 Each member State of Unesco contributes in the Unesco's regular budget for each biennium. India's share of contribution as per approved scale of contribution for 1990-1991 was fixed at 0.36 per cent of the total budget of Unesco for the biennium. Accordingly, India made a contribution of Rs. 1.76 crores to Unesco for the year 1990.
The World Heritage Committee 16.16.1 In pursuance of the provisions of the Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural "Heritage, adopted in 1972, Unesco has constituted the World Heritage Committee to identify those natural and cultural sites which merit inclusion in the World Heritage List and to administer World Heritage Fund. It comprises of twenty-one member States. India was elected a member of this Committee at the 25th Session of the General Conference of Unesco held in 1989.
16.16.2 The following fourteen cultural monuments and five natural sites from India have so far been included in the World Heritage List:
Monuments
1. Taj Mahal
2. Ajanta Caves
3. Ellora Caves
4. Agra Fort
5. Sun Temple at Konark
6. Monuments of Mahaballipuram
7. Churches and Convents of Goa
8. Group of Monuments of Khajurabho
9. Group of Monuments at Hampi
10. Group of Monuments at Fatehpur Sikri
11. Group of Monuments at Pattadkul
12. Elephanta Caves
13. Brihadisvara Temple
14. Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi.
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Natural Sites
1. Kaziranga National Park
2. Keoladeo National Park
3. Manas Wild Life Sanctuary
4. Sunderbans National Park
5. Nandadevi National Park
External Academic Relations and International Cooperation 16.17.1 The External Academic Relations unit in the Department of Education has been revived with a view to imparting dynamism in India's bilateral and multilateral cooperation in education activities to increase academic inter-action between educational institutions.
16.17.2 It was observed that there was a decline of interest in India among academic circles in important countries like the USA, Germany, France, UK etc. By promoting external academic relations an attempt to reverse this trend would be made by encouraging studies on India by foreign experts. This would be done under the umbrella of the various Cultural Exchange Programmes and other bilateral agreements. Some of the important activities undertaken in this regard are enumerated below:-