HRD Minister meets UNESCO DG

Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh 'Nishank' Pokhriyal, who heads the Indian National Commission for Co-operation with UNESCO, met Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, here on Tuesday.

"The duo discussed issues of importance to both India and UNESCO," an official statement said.

Ms Azoulay is on a three-day official visit to India.

Mr Pokhriyal had previously met the DG, when he led the Indian Delegation to the 40th General Conference of UNESCO in Paris in November, 2019.

MHRD Secretary Amit Khare; Secretary, I&B Ravi Mittal, delegation from UNESCO and senior officials of the Ministry, were also present on the occasion.

Mr Pokhriyal welcomed the DG, UNESCO and reaffirmed that India, as a founding member of UNESCO, was committed to achieving it's goals through various national and international programmes.

He said that with over 700 million young people in India, issues of education at all levels- primary, higher and tertiary, are of great importance to both UNESCO and India.

The Minister and the Director General discussed means, by which education can benefit from technological advancements, such as information technology and how to gear it up for the future in this digital age.

Education for girls and their increasing participation in STEM, vocational education, teacher training, education for the weaker and marginalized sections of society and those differently-abled are also important issues that formed a part of their discussions.

In his meeting, Mr Pokhriyal informed that the Government of India has recently reconstituted the Indian National Commission for cooperation with UNESCO.

The Commission had a very fruitful meeting last week, in which the work being done in each sector was discussed.

More importantly, a lot of deliberation was focused on how to promote cooperation and coordinated action among the five sub-commissions under the INCCU, and 'how to further enhance our engagement with the UNESCO,' he added.

Mr Pokhriyal highlighted that on the educational front, the Government of India is fully committed to the attainment of 2030 Sustainable Development Goals 4. India is working to further UNESCO's objective of making quality education available to everyone.

He said that various steps have been taken, to improve the access, equity and quality of education.

The Minister added that a New Education Policy is on the anvil, which has been formulated after the largest ever process of consultation with stakeholders. This policy will go a long way towards attainment of SDG Goal 4.

He further said the initiatives like NISHTHA- the world’s largest teacher training programme, LEAP and ARPIT for higher education faculty, Prime Minister’s innovative learning programme DHRUV, or the MOOCS portal SWAYAM are all significant steps in this direction.

Mr Pokhriyal highlighted that the Government is also working to internationalize education through schemes like STUDY IN INDIA that encourages enrolment of foreign students in Indian universities, SPARC that promotes joint research between Indian and foreign institutions and GIAN for international faculty teaching courses in Indian institutions.

He added that India can share its experience with Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA), Operation Digital Board (ODB) – Smart Classroom, MOOCS portal SWAYAM with other member countries who need it.

Similarly, initiatives like NISHTHA, LEAP and ARPIT can be shared with other member countries and collaborations can be built around these.

The Minister said the values that Mahatma Gandhi stood for, are cherished and respected the world over. He appealed that as the world observes 150 Years of Mahatma Gandhi, India and UNESCO can come together to organise celebrations in member countries. India can share the interactive and digital exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi.

Similarly, exhibitions on Sardar Patel and Guru Nanak can be showcased by UNESCO in other countries.

Mr Pokhriyal and Ms Azoulay signed the Operational Agreement, extending the presence of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), for a further period of five years.

Ms Azoulay is in the national capital for a three-day visit to India from the 4th to 6th of February 2020. Her visit re-emphasizes India’s close ties with UNESCO since its inception in 1946 and the shared ethos of promotion of peace and intercultural dialogue.

The Director General will also call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during her visit.