Content

1. India Hosts UNESCO’s 20th ICH Session
2. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO) 

India Hosts UNESCO’s 20th ICH Session

Why in News?

• India is hosting the 20th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) from 8–13 December 2025 at Red Fort, New Delhi.
• First time ever India is hosting this global ICH governance body.
• Coincides with 20 years of India’s ratification (2005) of the UNESCO 2003 Convention on ICH.
• Chaired by Vishal V. Sharma, India’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.
• Nodal agencies:
  • Ministry of Culture
  • Sangeet Natak Akademi

Relevance

GS 1 — Indian Heritage & Culture

• Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) vs Tangible Heritage
• 2003 ICH Convention:
  • Objectives, safeguarding mechanism
• Indian elements on UNESCO ICH List (15 elements)
• Living traditions:
  • Rituals, festivals, crafts, oral traditions
• Culture as a dynamic, community-owned process, not static monuments

GS 2 — International Relations & Global Institutions

• Role of UNESCO in global cultural governance
• India as:
  • Chair and host of a major multilateral cultural body
  • Voice of the Global South in heritage governance
• Convention diplomacy:
  • Cultural cooperation as a tool of IR
• Cultural multilateralism as a pillar of norm-setting

What is Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)?

• Living traditions including:
  • Oral traditions, performing arts
  • Rituals, festivals, social practices
  • Traditional craftsmanship and indigenous knowledge
• Dynamic, community-owned, and inter-generationally transmitted
• Differs from tangible heritage (monuments, artifacts)

2003 UNESCO Convention on ICH — Core Architecture

• Adopted: 17 October 2003, 32nd UNESCO General Conference, Paris
• Entry into force: 2006
• Four objectives:
  • Safeguard ICH
  • Ensure community respect
  • Raise national & global awareness
  • Promote international cooperation

Intergovernmental Committee — Key Functions

• Implements the 2003 Convention
• Decides on:
  • ICH Representative List
  • ICH in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
  • Register of Good Safeguarding Practices
• Controls:
  • ICH Fund utilisation
  • International assistance grants
• Reviews:
  • State Party periodic reports

India’s Role in Global ICH Governance

• India has served three terms on the ICH Committee.
• 15 Indian elements inscribed on the UNESCO ICH Representative List.
• 2025 Nominations:
  • Diwali
  • Chhath Mahaparva

Strategic Objectives of India as Host

• Showcase India’s ICH safeguarding model:
  • Institutional support
  • Community participation
  • National inventory & documentation
• Promote:
  • Joint multinational nominations
  • Capacity building and knowledge exchange
• Boost:
  • Cultural tourism
  • Global research & funding for Indian traditions
• Strengthen:
  • Youth participation in heritage transmission
• Advance:
  • Soft power & cultural diplomacy
• Integrate:
  • Heritage + Sustainable Development + Livelihoods

Economic & Social Significance of ICH for India

• Livelihood security:
  • Artisans, performers, crafts communities
• Social cohesion:
  • Reinforces pluralism across caste, tribe, region, religion
• Knowledge preservation:
  • Ecology, folk medicine, oral histories, rituals
• Soft power dividends:
  • Global branding via Yoga, Garba, Durga Puja, Kumbh, etc.

Institutional Framework in India

1. National ICH Scheme (Ministry of Culture)

• Objectives:
  • Documentation & digitisation
  • UNESCO nomination dossiers
  • Preservation & promotion
  • Training & skill development
• Stakeholders:
  • States, universities, NGOs, local practitioners

2. Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA)

• Capacity building
• Field documentation
• Awareness & transmission programs

Governance + Development Linkage (UPSC Value Addition)

• ICH supports SDGs:
  • SDG 1 (Livelihoods)
  • SDG 4 (Education & knowledge transmission)
  • SDG 8 (Cultural economy)
  • SDG 11 (Sustainable communities)

Emerging Challenges

• Commercialisation vs authenticity
• Urbanisation-driven skill loss
• Youth disengagement from traditional practices
• Inadequate grassroots documentation
• Digital misappropriation of community knowledge

Conclusion

• Hosting the 20th ICH Session elevates India as:
  • A global heritage leader
  • A voice of the Global South in cultural governance
• Reinforces India’s model of:
  • Community-centric safeguarding
  • Heritage-led sustainable development
• Converts India’s cultural diversity into:
  • Diplomatic capital
  • Economic opportunity
  • Civilisational continuity

National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO) 

Why in News?

• Government released latest progress update (Dec 2025) on:
  • NMEO–Oil Palm (OP) area expansion & CPO production
  • NMEO–Oilseeds (OS) implementation scale-up
• NITI Aayog’s 2024 report highlighted:
  • India ranks No. 1 globally in production of rice bran oil, castor, safflower, sesame, niger
• By Nov 2025:
  • 2.50 lakh ha freshly covered under NMEO-OP
  • Total oil palm area now 6.20 lakh ha
  • CPO output doubled from 1.91 lakh tonnes (2014–15) to 3.80 lakh tonnes (2024–25)

Relevance

GS Paper 3 — Agriculture

• Oilseeds as:
  • Second-largest crop group after foodgrains
• NMEO verticals:
  • NMEO–Oil Palm (2021)
  • NMEO–Oilseeds (2024)
• Yield gap, rainfed dependence, seed replacement strategy

GS 3 — Food Security & Nutrition

• Edible oils as:
  • Core source of fats & fat-soluble vitamins
• Per capita consumption rise vs domestic supply gap
• Import dependence risks on nutritional security

Strategic Context

• India meets only ~44% of edible oil demand from domestic production (2023–24).
• Import dependence:
  • Fell from 63.2% (2015–16) → 56.25% (2023–24)
• Edible oil imports (2023–24): 15.66 million tonnes
• Consumption surge (2004–05 → 2022–23):
  • Rural: +83.7%
  • Urban: +48.7%

Historical Background

• Yellow Revolution (1990s) via Technology Mission on Oilseeds:
  • Near self-sufficiency achieved through:
    • MSP
    • Import substitution
• Post-WTO phase:
  • Reduced tariffs + weaker price support
  • Imports surged, domestic productivity stagnated

National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)

• Launched to achieve:
  • Atmanirbharta in edible oils
  • Import substitution
  • Farmer income enhancement
• Two verticals:
  • NMEO–Oil Palm (2021)
  • NMEO–Oilseeds (2024)
• Implemented by Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

NMEO – Oil Palm (OP)

Why Oil Palm?

• Highest oil yield per hectare among all oilseeds
• Oil yield ≈ 5× traditional oilseeds
• Produces:
  • Palm oil (food)
  • Palm kernel oil (industrial)

Financial Architecture

• Total outlay: ₹11,040 crore
  • Centre: ₹8,844 cr
  • States: ₹2,196 cr
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme

Core Innovations

• Viability Price (VP) for Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFBs):
  • Protects farmers from global CPO price volatility
• Input subsidy enhanced:
  • Planting material: ₹12,000 → ₹29,000 per ha
  • Rejuvenation of old gardens: ₹250 per plant
• Focus on:
  • Drip irrigation
  • Inter-cropping during 4-year gestation
  • Crop diversification from low-yield cereals

Regional Focus

• Traditional leaders:
  • Andhra Pradesh, Telangana (98% production)
• New expansion:
  • North-East, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Odisha

Targets vs Progress

NMEO – Oilseeds (OS)

• Approved: 2024–25 to 2030–31
• Outlay: ₹10,103 crore

Coverage

• Primary oilseeds:
  • Mustard, Groundnut, Soybean, Sunflower, Sesame, Safflower, Niger, Linseed, Castor
• Secondary sources:
  • Cottonseed, Rice bran, Coconut
• Tree-Borne Oilseeds (TBOs) included

Targets (By 2030–31)

• Area: 29 → 33 million ha
• Production: 39 → 69.7 million tonnes
• Yield: 1,353 → 2,112 kg/ha
• Additional:
  • 40 lakh ha expansion via:
    • Rice fallows
    • Potato fallows
    • Intercropping
• Combined with NMEO–OP:
  • Domestic oil production target: 25.45 million tonnes
  • Demand met: ~72%

Implementation Framework

• 600+ Value Chain Clusters
• Coverage: >10 lakh ha annually
• Managed by:
  • FPOs
  • Cooperatives
• Farmers receive:
  • Free quality seeds
  • GAP training
  • Pest & weather advisory
• Post-harvest:
  • Oil extraction & storage support

Digital & Institutional Backbone

• SATHI Portal:
  • 5-year rolling seed plan
• Infrastructure:
  • 65 seed hubs
  • 50 seed storage units
• Monitoring:
  • Krishi Mapper
• Last-mile delivery:
  • Krishi Sakhis (CASPs) via SHGs

Role of Research & Technology

Implemented by Indian Council of Agricultural Research through AICRPs:

• 432 high-yielding varieties notified (2014–25)
• Focus on:
  • Hybrid breeding
  • Gene editing
  • Climate-resilient varieties
• Seed Performance Metrics:
  • VRR (Varietal Replacement Rate)
  • SRR (Seed Replacement Rate)
• Breeder seed production (2019–24):
  • 1.53 lakh quintals

Complementary Policy Support

• PM-AASHA:
  • MSP procurement via NAFED, NCCF
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana:
  • Crop insurance for oilseeds
• Import duties raised:
  • Crude oils: 5.5% → 16.5%
  • Refined oils: 13.75% → 35.75%
• MSP raised for mustard, soybean, groundnut

Strategic Significance

• Macro-Economic:
  • Saves foreign exchange
  • Reduces vulnerability to global price shocks
• Farmer Welfare:
  • Assured pricing + stable demand
• Nutritional Security:
  • Addresses fat and vitamin deficiencies
• Agro-Industrial Growth:
  • Strengthens oil processing ecosystem
• Atmanirbhar Bharat:
  • Core pillar of agri self-reliance

Key Challenges

• High rainfed dependence (76%)
• Yield gaps vs global benchmarks
• Long gestation of oil palm
• Environmental risks (monoculture, water stress)
• Market volatility despite price assurance

Relevance

• GS-3:
  • Agriculture, food security, MSP, agri-import substitution
• Essay:
  • Atmanirbhar Bharat through agricultural transformation
• Prelims:
  • NMEO–OP vs NMEO–OS
  • Viability Price (VP), SATHI, Krishi Sakhi

Conclusion

• NMEO represents India’s most comprehensive edible oil reform since the Yellow Revolution.
• Combines:
  • Oil palm expansion
  • Traditional oilseed productivity
  • Advanced seed systems
  • Digital governance
• If executed sustainably, NMEO can:
  • Cut import dependence to below 30%
  • Transform oilseeds into a high-value farmer income engine
  • Secure India’s nutritional and economic sovereignty.