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India's heritage portfolio expanded on two fronts in quick succession. First, the Ministry of Culture, through the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), secured the addition of seven natural heritage sites to UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. This raised India's Tentative List from 62 to 69 entries, now comprising 49 cultural, 17 natural and 3 mixed heritage properties under consideration.
The seven newly added natural sites are:
Separately, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jordan in December 2025, India and Jordan signed a twinning agreement between the Ellora Caves (Maharashtra) and Petra (Jordan) — two of the world's most celebrated rock-cut heritage sites. Together, these developments showcase both India's pipeline of future World Heritage nominations and its growing use of heritage as a tool of cultural diplomacy.
The 1972 Convention: The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference on 16 November 1972 in Paris. Its defining feature is that it links, in a single instrument, the conservation of nature and the preservation of cultural properties. Sites are inscribed only if they possess Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) — cultural and/or natural significance so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and be of common importance to humanity. India ratified the Convention in 1977.
The World Heritage Committee — composed of representatives from 21 States Parties elected by the General Assembly — takes the final inscription decisions at its annual sessions and maintains the World Heritage List.
The selection criteria: A site must meet at least one of ten criteria. Six (criteria i-vi) pertain to cultural value (e.g., masterpieces of human creativity, exceptional testimony to a civilisation), and four (criteria vii-x) to natural value — superlative natural phenomena, major stages of Earth's history, ongoing ecological processes, and significant natural habitats for biodiversity. The seven new Indian entries are pitched primarily on the geological/geomorphological criteria.
What the Tentative List is: The Tentative List is an inventory of properties a State Party intends to nominate in the coming years. It is the first and mandatory step — only sites already on the Tentative List can be taken up for formal nomination, and a property must usually sit on the list at least one year before a nomination dossier is submitted. Listing here is therefore not inscription; it is an official signal of intent and a precondition to the full nomination-evaluation-inscription cycle.
Each site was chosen for its geological and geomorphological significance:
The Petra-Ellora twinning: A twinning agreement formally pairs two World Heritage sites to share conservation expertise, train heritage professionals, and promote tourism and cultural exchange. Both Ellora (34 Hindu, Buddhist and Jain rock-cut monuments) and Petra (the Nabataean 'Rose City') are masterpieces of rock-cut architecture, making the pairing thematically apt.
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Match the pollutants given in List – I with their effects given in List – II. List – I (Pollutants) List – II (Effects of Pollutants) a. Phosphate fertilizers in water i. Biochemical oxygen demand level increase b. Methane in air ii. Acid Rain c. Synthetic detergents in water iii. Global warming d. Nitrogen oxides in air iv. Eutrophication
Answer: B. a-iv, b-iii, c-i, d-ii
As per the Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008, the ________ shall be the nodal Ministry to deal with the transboundary movement of the hazardous wastes and to grant permission for transit of the hazardous wastes through any part of India.
Answer: A. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India
Identify the correct statement/s from the following regarding Food Security Bill, 2013. A. The Bill provides food safety benefits to the 50% of the urban population and 75% of the rural population. B. Beneficiaries will be provided rice at Rs. 3/-kg, coarse grains at Re. 1/-kg and wheat at Rs. 2/-kg per month.
Answer: D. Only B is correct
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Science · 2025Match the pollutants given in List – I with their effects given in List – II. List – I (Pollutants) List – II (Effects of Pollutants) a. Phosphate fertilizers in water i. Biochemical oxygen demand level increase b. Methane in air ii. Acid Rain c. Synthetic detergents in water iii. Global warming d. Nitrogen oxides in air iv. Eutrophication
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