Lok Sabha Question No. 1492 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-01
Subject: Inclusion of Kailash Mansarovar in UNESCO List
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Santokh Singh Chaudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1492

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.07.2019

## INCLUSION OF KAILASH MANSAROVAR IN UNESCO LIST

## 1492. SHRI SANTOKH SINGH CHAUDHARY:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state :

- (a) whether United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has included Indian side of Kailash Mansarovar in its tentative list of world heritage sites;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the timeline for permanent inclusion of Kailash Mansarovar in the world heritage sites list; and
- (d) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  reduce  the  impact  of  climate  change  on Kailash Mansarovar?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR CULTURE AND TOURISM (PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)

- (a)&  (b)  Yes  Sir,  proposal  for  'Sacred  Mountain  Landscape  and  Heritage  Routes' (Indian side of Kailash Mansoravar) has been included in Tentative List of World Heritage Sites of India as a Mixed site in April, 2019. The site has been proposed under UNESCO criteria (iii), (vi) & (x) of Operational Guideline. (Annexure-A)
- (c) As per UNESCO's Operational Guidelines 2017, a site must be on tentative list of UNESCO at least for a period of one year before proposing it for final nomination. Once the nomination dossier is completed, it is sent to the World Heritage Centre (WHC) by the stipulated  deadline  of  01  February  of  a  calendar  year.  In  furtherance  an  expert  of  the respective field in cultural & natural fields is deputed for the evaluation of site by WHC. Accordingly, decision of permanent inclusion of any site in World Heritage list is taken by the members of the World heritage committee.
- (d) The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change,  Government  of  India and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India have initiated several programmes  for  the  mitigation  of  Climate  Change  with  particular  reference  to  the Himalayas, e.g. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 1492

## Selection criteria as Operational Guidelines 2017

- (i) To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
- (ii) To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time  or  within  a      cultural  area  of  the  world,  on  developments  in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
- (iii) To  bear  a  unique  or  at  least  exceptional  testimony  to  a  cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;
- (iv) To be an outstanding  example of  a  type  of  building,  architectural  or technological   ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;
- (v) To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, landuse,  or  sea-use  which  is  representative  of  a  culture  (or  cultures),  or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;
- (vi) To  be  directly  or  tangibly  associated  with  events  or  living  traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal  significance.  (The  Committee  considers  that  this  criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria.
- (vii) To  contain  superlative  natural  phenomena  or  areas  of  exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;
- (viii) To  be  outstanding  examples  representing  major  stages  of  earth's history,  including  the  record  of  life,  significant  on-going  geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;
- (ix) To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems  and communities of plants and animals;
- (x) To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened  species  of  outstanding  universal  value  from  the  point  of view of science or conservation.