UNESCO did not declare India’s national anthem the best in the world.

UNESCO Itself has clarified that the online propaganda, which has been circulating since 2008, is merely a rumour

A post is going viral again on social media with a claim that the “United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’ (UNESCO) has declared the Indian national anthem as the best national anthem in the world.

The caption of the post states, Congratulation to all of us “Our national anthem “Jana Gana Mana… “Is declared as the “BEST ANTHEM OF THE WORLD “by UNESCO.

Jana = People

Gana = Group

Mana = Mind

Adhinayaka= Leader

Jaya He = Victory

Bharata = India

Bhagya = Destiny

Vidhata = Disposer

Punjaba = Punjab

Sindhu = Indus

Gujarata = Gujarat

Maratha = Marathi Maharashtra

Dravida = South

Utkala = Orissa

Banga = Bengal

Vindhya =Vindhyas

Himachal =Himalay

Yamuna = Yamuna

Ganga = Ganges

Uchchhala = Moving

Jaladhi = Ocean

Taranga = Waves

Tava = Your

Shubh =Auspicious

Naame = name

Jage = Awaken

Tava = Your

Shubha = Auspicious

Aashisha = Blessings

Maage = Ask

Gaahe = Sing

Tava = Your

Jaya = Victory

Gatha = Song

This text message is shared widely along with the Grammy award winner Ricky Kej’s Indian National Anthem rendition with largest orchestra.

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Fact Check-

We started our investigation with keyword search on Google and found that the same news went viral 11 years ago and has been shared many times over these eleven years. On September 30, 2008, India Today published an article containing an explanation given by the UNESCO authorities about this false propaganda. The channel had then reached out to UNESCO to verify the news, when Sue Williams, Chief, Editorial, Press Relations and Unesco Courier, Bureau of Public Information, UNESCO, wrote back debunking the ‘announcement’. 

“We are aware of several blogs in India reporting this story, but can assure you that UNESCO has made no such announcement concerning the anthem of India or any country”.

From time to time this fake rumor is continuously going on in social media. In further search we found that several news reports of Top 10 fake news circulated in 2016. In these articles we can see that one of the rumors is that ‘Janaganamana’ was declared by UNESCO as the best anthem in the world.

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On the eve of India’s 77th Independence Day, three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej released a rendition of the country’s National Anthem recorded with the largest orchestra ever at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London.

Conclusion-

Fact Crescendo found the viral claim that UNESCO has declared the Indian national anthem the best national anthem in the world to be False. UNESCO itself has clarified that the online propaganda, which has been circulating since 2008, is merely a rumour.