Consider the following properties included in the World Heritage List released by UNESCO :
- 1.Shantiniketan
- 2.Rani-ki-Vav
- 3.Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas
- 4.Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodhgaya
How many of the above properties were included in 2023 ?
Show answer
Answer: B. Two of these were inscribed in 2023 at the 45th World Heritage Committee session in Riyadh: Santiniketan (West Bengal) and the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas (Karnataka). Rani-ki-Vav was inscribed in 2014 and the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in 2002. So only two.
Watch for: Rani-ki-Vav features on the ₹100 note and is often in the news, so students think it is a recent entry.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because both Santiniketan and the Hoysala temples were added in 2023.
- C. Wrong because Rani-ki-Vav was inscribed in 2014.
- D. Wrong because Mahabodhi was inscribed in 2002 and Rani-ki-Vav in 2014.
Source to check: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, India list (whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/in); PIB releases, September 2023
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.