How UNESCO's World Heritage Convention works and when India joined it

Background

The World Heritage Convention is an international agreement created by UNESCO in 1972 and adopted by its member countries to protect important cultural and natural sites.
India became part of this Convention in November 1977.
As of October 2024, there are 1,223 World Heritage Sites across 196 countries, comprising 952 cultural, 231 natural and 40 mixed sites.
India's journey on the List began in 1983 with the listing of Agra Fort, followed by the Taj Mahal, Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves.
In July 2024, 'Moidams: The Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty' from Assam was inscribed as a cultural property, and the Ministry of Culture recorded 43 World Heritage Sites for India at that point with 62 more on UNESCO's Tentative List.
The Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture, hosted the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Delhi from 21st to 31st July 2024, attended by nearly 2900 international and national delegates from more than 140 countries.