Lok Sabha Question No. 3817 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-24
Subject: MONDIACULT 2025
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Yogender Chandolia, Shri P P Chaudhary, Shri Ramesh Awasthi, Smt. Smita Uday Wagh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3817

ANSWERED ON 24.03.2025

## MONDIACULT 2025

## 3817.     SHRI P P CHAUDHARY:

SHRI RAMESH AWASTHI:

SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA:

SMT. SMITA UDAY WAGH:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a)    the  details  of  the  specific  commitments  made  by  India  at  the  MONDIACULT  2025 consultation regarding the promotion of cultural rights and the manner in which these commitments likely to be implemented in Maharashtra State;
- (b) the details of the steps taken/to be taken by the Government to ensure the integration of culture  into  education,  in  line  with  the  UNESCO  Framework  for  Culture  and  Arts Education (2024), particularly in Maharashtra's schools and universities;
- (c) whether  India  has proposed  any  specific initiatives  or  policy  recommendations regarding  the  impact  of  artificial  intelligence  on  cultural  diversity  and  intellectual property  rights,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  implications  for  Maharashtra's cultural sector;
- (d) the details  of  the  measures  being  undertaken  to  ensure  India's  active  participation  in shaping global cultural policies at the upcoming MONDIACULT 2025 conference in Barcelona and the manner in which Maharashtra contribute to these efforts; and
- (e) the  details  of  the  specific  initiatives  planned  for  Maharashtra  to  align  with  India's cultural policy commitments made at MONDIACULT 2025?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) to (c) The UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development -MONDIACULT is an intergovernmental forum held  every  four  years,  comprising  of  the 194 member states of UNESCO working together to set the global agenda for culture. The Conference aims to build a consensus and establish a momentum for declaring Culture as a 'stand-alone' goal in the post 2030 sustainable development agenda. The two focus areas of

MONDIACULT 2025 are Culture for Peace and Artificial Intelligence and Culture including the IP rights of artists.

India is represented in the MONDIACULT by the Minister of Culture, representing India's national perspectives pertaining to the entire country, including Maharashtra.

Following initiatives  has  been  taken  by  this  Ministry  through  CCRT  for  the  integration  of cultural  heritage  into  the  educational  curriculum,  ensuring  that  students  in  Maharashtra,  as well as across India, develop a deeper connection to their cultural roots:

- i. Embedding cultural heritage into pedagogy by conducting diverse training programs aimed  at  in-service  government  and  government-aided  school  teachers,  teacher educators, and administrators.
- ii. Implementation  of  the  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020  in  all  its  teacher training programs, ensuring that cultural education aligns with the vision of the NEP to promote holistic and multi-disciplinary learning.
- iii. Providing  scholarships  and  fellowships  to  encourage  cultural  research  and  artistic development among students and researchers across various domains of Indian art and culture.
- iv. Organizing  theoretical  and  theme  based  academic  programmes  on  Indian  Art  & Culture for teachers/teacher educators/scholarship holders which in turn leads to the grassroot dissemination and promotion of ancient Indian Art & Culture.

(d) India is the Chair of the Asian and Pacific States Regional Consultation for UNESCO's MONDIACULT 2025, scheduled to  be held  in  Barcelona,  Spain,  from  28 th September  to 1 st October.  In  this  capacity,  India  has  joined  Chile,  Kenya,  Latvia,  Morocco,  and  Spain, who are leading the consultations for their respective regions.

UNESCO hosted a regional consultation for Asia and the Pacific States on 5 th -  6 th February  2025,  chaired  by  Minister  of  Culture  and  Tourism,  Government  of  India.  The consultation convened representatives, including ministers, deputy ministers, intergovernmental organizations, regional NGOs, Category II Centers, and UNESCO Chairs, from 39 Member States across the Asia-Pacific region.

The Regional Consultations are crucial for building a common understanding that will guide  the  process  of  the  conference,  ensuring  that  regional  perspectives  are  effectively integrated into the outcomes of MONDIACULT 2025.

- (e)  MONDIACULT  is  an  intergovernmental  forum  and  a  world  conference  on  culture policies  represented  by  the  Minister  of  Culture,  representing  India's  national  perspectives pertaining to the entire country, including Maharashtra.

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