Why in News?

• Union HRD Minister chairs a meeting of the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO in New Delhi.

INCCU:

• The INCCU is a governmental body formed by the Government of India which functions under the Department of Secondary and Higher Education in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
• The objective of the Commission is to advise the Government in matters relating to the UNESCO.
• India has been a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a specialized agency of the United Nations since its inception in 1946.
• The Constitution of the UNESCO mandates each member to form a national commission to function as agencies of liaison between the national government and UNESCO.
• Accordingly, an interim Indian National Commission for Co-operation with UNESCO was set up in 1949 by the Government of India, Ministry of Education.
• A permanent Commission was established in 1951.

Functions of the INCCU:

• To promote understanding of the objects and purposes of UNESCO among the people of the Republic of India;
• To serve as a liaison agency between the Government of India and the institutions concerned with the working for the advancement of education, science and culture;
• To cooperate with the Government departments and with services, organizations and institutions concerned with questions within UNESCO’s competence;
• To encourage participation of national, governmental and non-governmental institutions and various individuals in the formulations and execution of UNESCO’s programmes so as
• to secure for UNESCO all the intellectual, scientific, artistic or administrative assistance that it may require;
• To collaborate with the National Commissions of Asia and the Pacific and with UNESCO’s Regional Offices and centres in fostering regional, sub-regional and bilateral cooperation in education, the sciences, culture and information, particularly through the joint formulation and execution of programmes;
• To disseminate information on the objectives, programme and activities of UNESCO and endeavour to arouse public interest in them; and
• To advise the Government of India on matters relating to UNESCO.

India and UNESCO:

• India is among the founding members of UNESCO and has been playing a very active role in promoting UNESCO’s ideals and objectives.
• UNESCO’s Executive Board examines the programme of work for the Organization and corresponding budget estimates submitted to it by the Director-General.
• It consists of 58 Member States, each with a four-year term of office.
• India was one of the six elected Vice-Chairpersons for 2012-2013.
• India was re-elected as a Member of the Executive Board for 2014-17 in the election held in the 37th General Conference in November 2013.
• India has established an office of Permanent Delegation at UNESCO, Paris.
• Since 2013, India’s contribution is 0.666 percent of the total budget of UNESCO.