Union Culture and Tourism Minister G S Shekhawat has said for the first time, India will lead the World Heritage Committee.

“India will be the chairman of the committee and 126 countries will be included in this committee”, the Minister told reporters at a press conference at Jodhpur last evening.

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In the coming days, a conference of all these countries included in the World Heritage Committee will be held in India, he said.

“This will also be a golden opportunity for Rajasthan, when our heritage will get recognition on the world stage”, he added.

Regarding the world’s largest museum to be built in Delhi, Shekhawat said that India’s new National Museum will be built in North and South Block under the Central Vista Redevelopment Project.

”This museum will be developed through adaptive reuse with the cooperation of France and it would be a testimony to India’s rich heritage and unwavering spirit of progress, as it draws a blueprint by taking inspiration from its past,” quoting him a WhatsApp release said here today.

Shekhawat further said, “Tourism contributes 6.2 per cent to the country’s GDP, how can we take it to 10 per cent? We will work in this direction”.

He said that tourism was a state subject and the Rajasthan government has been asked to make its own plan for tourism. When the government submits its plan, the central government will work on the basis of the priority of that plan, he said.

“We will soon hold a meeting with other states to get information about their preparation and proposal and work on that basis. India is a huge hub of tourism and there are many verticals of tourism here, which mainly include verticals like culture, nature, wildlife, activity, adventure to fun tourism”.