India's role crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals, says Director-General UNESCO

Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay has commended India's role as crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goals and said that India and UNESCO would jointly realize their shared objectives.

Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay has commended India's role as crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goals and said that India and UNESCO would jointly realize their shared objectives. On a three-day official visit to India, Azoulay spoke to the media on Tuesday and said that India has influenced the vision and objectives of UNESCO through the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.

During Tuesday's event, Azoulay also met Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal where they 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. Terming her earlier meeting with HRD Minister as a very fruitful one, she said she was very happy to note India's efforts at making quality education available to every section of the society.

The two sides further discussed the initiatives being taken by India in the education sector. Pokhriyal informed the Director-General that the Gross Enrolment Ratio of girls in the country had, for the first time, surpassed that of boys across various levels. He also talked at length about the various schemes like NISHTHA, LEAP, ODB- Smart Classroom, DHRUV, SWAYAM MOOCs Portal that India has taken up. Azoulay noted India's work and said that New Delhi's role is crucial for the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Nishank reiterated India's commitment to the attainment of 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. He said India is working to further UNESCO's objective of making quality education available to everyone. Pokhriyal further said that India is keen to promote Yoga and Ayurveda courses which are in great demand abroad, and UNESCO can play a pivotal role in the same. He said India's work in the field of education can also be shared with other countries of the world.

The Director-General of UNESCO was in New Delhi for a three-day visit to India from the 4th to 6th of February. The UNESCO official will also call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her visit. (ANI)

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