ULTRA IMP News in Last 18 Months

First Hindu Temple, Abu Dhabi (UAE)

• Inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi (Feb 2024)

• Built by BAPS, land gifted by UAE govt

• Example of India’s cultural diplomacy & soft power

Source: News on Air, PIB

 IIT Madras – Zanzibar (Tanzania)

• First IIT campus in Africa

• Strengthens India–Africa education cooperation

• Part of India’s knowledge diplomacy

Source: PIB, Ministry of Education

IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi

• First overseas campus of IIT Delhi (launched 2024)

• Focus on engineering, energy, sustainability

• Linked to India–UAE strategic partnership

Source: PIB, EdexLive

University of Southampton (UK) – India

• Opened campus in Gurugram (2024)

• First under UGC Foreign Universities Regulations, 2023

• Key step in NEP 2020 implementation

Source: ET Government, UGC

Illinois Institute of Technology (USA) – India

• First US university approved to open campus in India

• Proposed campus in Mumbai

• Boosts India as global education hub

Source: Official University Release, MoE

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE – INDIA

(In News: Last ~18 Months)

1. Maratha Military Landscapes of India

• Status: INSCRIBED on UNESCO World Heritage List (2025)

• India’s Rank:44th World Heritage Site

• Significance: Network of strategic forts (hill, coastal & inland) reflecting Maratha military planning and landscape adaptation.

• Session: 47th UNESCO World Heritage Committee
Exam Angle: Cultural landscape, indigenous military architecture

2. Moidams – Ahom Dynasty (Assam)

• Status: INSCRIBED (2024)

• India’s Rank:43rd World Heritage Site

• Description:Mound-burial system of Ahom kings; often called Pyramids of the East.

• Type: Cultural HeritageExam Angle: Funerary architecture, North-East heritage

3. Additions to UNESCO Tentative List (2025)

(Mandatory step before final inscription)

• Kanger Valley National Park (Chhattisgarh) – Biodiversity hotspot

• Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs (Telangana) – Iron Age megaliths

• Ashokan Edict Sites (Multi-state) – Early inscriptions & dhamma

• Chausath Yogini Temples (Multi-state) – Tantric temple architecture

• Gupta Temples (North India) – Classical Nagara style

• Palace-Fortresses of Bundelas (MP–UP) – Medieval fortified towns

Exam Angle: Tentative List ≠ World Heritage Site

4. Natural Sites Added to Tentative List (2025)

• Seven natural sites added, increasing India’s tentative list count to ~69 sites

• Includes Deccan Traps, Meghalaya cave systems, ophiolite formations, etc.

• Shows India’s focus on geo-heritage & natural diversityExam Angle: Natural vs Cultural Heritage

QUICK FACTS FOR PRELIMS

• UNESCO WHS = Outstanding Universal Value (OUV)

• Tentative List → Compulsory before nomination

• India now has 44 World Heritage Sites

• Categories: Cultural | Natural | Mixed