International Museum Day

In news- International Museum Day (IMD) is held annually on or around 18 May, coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

International Museum Day (IMD)-

The objective of IMD is to raise awareness about the fact that, “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.”
The first International Museum Day took place in 1977, coordinated by ICOM.
The theme for 2022 is “The Power of Museums”.
IMD provides the opportunity for museum professionals to meet the public and alert them as to the challenges that museums face, and raise public awareness on the role museums play in the development of society.
It also promotes dialogue between museum professionals.

Celebrations in India-

To celebrate International Museum Day, the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi organized a host of educational activities and programs under the theme of ‘Power of Museums’ as mentioned by ICOM.
The National Museum (New Delhi), National Gallery of Modern Art (New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru), Allahabad Museum (Prayagraj), Indian Museum (Kolkata), Victoria Memorial Hall (Kolkata), Salar Jung Museum (Hyderabad) and Science cities and centres under National Council of Science Museums (in 24 locations across India) are undertaking special initiatives throughout the designated week 16th-20th May,2022.

The International Council of Museums (ICOM)-

The ICOM is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to museums, maintaining formal relations with the United Nations Economic and Social Council(UNESCO) and having a consultative status with the UNESCO.
ICOM traces its roots back to the defunct International Museums Office (OIM), created in 1926 by the League of Nations.
Founded in 1946, ICOM also partners with entities such as the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Interpol,and the World Customs Organization in order to carry out its international public service missions, which include fighting illicit traffic in cultural goods and promoting risk management and emergency preparedness to protect world cultural heritage in the event of natural or man-made disasters.
It is located in Paris, France.
Members of the ICOM get the ICOM membership card, which provides free entry, or entry at a reduced rate, to many museums all over the world.