Majuli Island

·         On Feb 5, 2008 GoI re-nominated the Majuli Island in Jorhat district of upper Assam - the largest river island in the world - for UNESCO world heritage status.

·         The island, a natural and cultural heritage site with water bodies covering most of the area, attracts plenty of birds both local and migratory.

·         The Majuli Island, which was first nominated by India in 2004

·         The world heritage committee, composed of members drawn from 21 countries, will be taking a decision on the names at its next meeting at Quebec City in Canada in June.

·         Last year, Red Fort was added to the list of world heritage status.
Majuli is among the world's largest riverine islands. For over 500 years, it has been seen as the cradle of Assamese culture.

·         When first nominated in 2004, the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, had carried out a detailed evaluation in 2005 and had asked for more details.
When the name came up for consideration before the committee in 2006, it was referred back as additional information was not available. Now, the ASI, which acts as the nodal agency for nomination of Indian sites on the world heritage list, has prepared a detailed.

·         India currently has 27 World Heritage Sites, 22 of which are cultural and five natural.