Press Information Bureau · UPSC Analysis
Contents
PIB Analysis
26 June 2026
Contents
01
India on the Move: A Decade of Tourism-Led Growth
GS 1
GS 3
Essay
02
Samvidhan Hatya Diwas: 50 Years of the 1975 Emergency
GS 1
GS 2
Article 01
Article 01
India on the Move: A Decade of Tourism-Led Growth
Relevance: GS 1 (Indian society — heritage, regional development) · GS 3 (infrastructure, growth & employment, inclusive growth) · Essay (tourism as soft power).
GS 1
GS 3
Essay
Image: A decade of tourism-led infrastructure and destination development across India. [Replace src with image URL]
Key Data at a Glance
181.25 mninternational arrivals, 2014–2025; 93.35 mn foreign tourist arrivals
76Swadesh Darshan 1.0 projects sanctioned; ₹5,292.57 cr; 75 completed
54PRASHAD projects sanctioned, worth over ₹1,700 cr
₹3,295.76 crSASCI outlay across 40 projects, 23 States
20thglobal rank in 2024 international arrivals (up from 25th in 2016)
US $231.6 bntourism contribution to economy; India ranks 8th among top tourism economies
Issue in Brief
- A Ministry of Tourism review marks over a decade (2014–2026) of tourism-led growth, claiming a shift from fragmented schemes to integrated, infrastructure-driven, sustainable destination development.
- The review frames tourism as central to Viksit Bharat@2047, citing record arrivals, global ranking gains, new schemes, and human-capital initiatives across the sector.
Static Background
- Swadesh Darshan was launched in 2014–15 by the Ministry of Tourism as a 100% centrally-funded scheme to develop theme-based tourist circuits (Buddhist, Himalayan, Heritage, Eco, etc.) — Verification Required on the exact launch year given minor variance across official sources.
- PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) was launched in 2014–15 alongside Swadesh Darshan to upgrade infrastructure at high-footfall pilgrimage and heritage sites.
- Swadesh Darshan 2.0, launched in 2022, revamped the original scheme with a tourist-and-destination-centric, sustainability-first approach, replacing the circuit-first model with immersive, self-contained destination development.
- SASCI (Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment — Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale) followed the Union Budget 2024–25 announcement, offering interest-free loans to States for globally benchmarked tourism hubs.
- CBDD (Challenge-Based Destination Development) operates as a sub-scheme of SD 2.0, targeting spiritual, cultural, ecological and village-tourism categories.
Key Dimensions — Infrastructure Schemes
- Swadesh Darshan 1.0: 76 projects sanctioned (2014-15 to 2018-19) across 15 tourist circuits in 31 States/UTs, with investment exceeding ₹5,000 crore (official figure: ₹5,292.57 crore); 75 projects physically completed.
- PRASHAD: 54 projects sanctioned, worth over ₹1,700 crore (figure cited variably as ₹1,646.99 cr to ₹1,726.74 cr across releases — Verification Required for the exact current figure), improving safety and access at sites like Somnath, Srisailam, and Govardhan (Uttar Pradesh).
- Swadesh Darshan 2.0: per Ministry data shared in Rajya Sabha (5 February 2026), 53 projects worth ₹2,208.31 crore sanctioned; notable interventions include floating log huts at Tehri Lake (Uttarakhand) and Mahabharata-themed attractions at Kurukshetra (Haryana).
- SASCI: 40 projects across 23 States, outlay ₹3,295.76 crore.
- CBDD: 38 projects worth ₹697.94 crore, including the Panidihing Bird Sanctuary (Assam) and Nizam Sagar reservoir eco-tourism (Telangana).
Key Dimensions — Sustainability & Niche Tourism
- Travel for LiFE programme promotes environmentally responsible travel choices among tourists, businesses, and communities.
- Mamallapuram became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Asia to receive the Green Destinations Silver global certification.
- Niche products — Himalayan trekking trails, birdwatching circuits, turtle tourism — aim to de-concentrate footfall from overtoured sites.
Key Dimensions — Global Competitiveness
- India recorded 20.6 million international arrivals in 2024, ranking 20th globally (up from 25th in 2016).
- From 2014–2025: 181.25 million international arrivals; 93.35 million foreign tourist arrivals — the two differ, since international arrivals include NRIs while foreign tourist arrivals count only foreign nationals.
- India ranks 8th among world tourism economies, contributing US $231.6 billion; WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council) projects a rise to 4th place over the next decade.
- e-Tourist Visa, and digital platforms NIDHI and NIDHI Plus streamline registration for accommodation providers and travel agents.
- India's G20 Presidency showcased the country's destinations and boosted its MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) tourism profile.
Key Dimensions — Human Capital
- 4.5 lakh+ persons trained (2014–2025) under the Capacity Building for Service Providers scheme.
- Union Budget 2026–27 proposes a National Institute of Hospitality and upskilling of 10,000 tourist guides.
- 100+ destinations upgraded in the last decade; 50 more destinations proposed for development.
Critical Analysis — Strengths
- The convergence of multiple schemes (Swadesh Darshan, PRASHAD, SASCI, CBDD) toward common destinations reflects a maturing, less fragmented policy architecture compared to the pre-2014 period.
- Quantitative achievements (arrivals, rankings, project counts) are well-documented and largely traceable to official Ministry sources, lending credibility to the broad growth narrative.
Critical Analysis — Structural Questions
- The review is a government self-assessment; independent, third-party evaluation of outcome indicators (visitor satisfaction, livelihood income gains, local employment quality) is comparatively limited — one cited independent study (an IIM Rohtak evaluation of PRASHAD) found measurable visitor-satisfaction gains, but such independent assessments remain the exception rather than the norm.
- Physical completion vs. sanctioning gap: while Swadesh Darshan 1.0 shows high completion (75 of 76), newer schemes (SD 2.0, SASCI, CBDD) are still in the sanctioning/early-implementation phase, so their on-ground impact cannot yet be fully verified.
- Overtourism vs. niche diversification: promoting niche circuits (trekking, birdwatching) addresses symptoms of overtourism but does not yet include enforceable carrying-capacity frameworks for high-footfall sites.
- Skill and last-mile gaps: capacity-building numbers are large in aggregate, but the review does not provide outcome data on employment retention or wage improvement for trained personnel — a structural data gap in human-capital claims.
Way Forward
- Strengthen independent, third-party monitoring (e.g., CAG performance audits, academic evaluations) of completed Swadesh Darshan/PRASHAD projects to validate outcome — not just input — metrics.
- Introduce carrying-capacity assessments and visitor-flow management at high-footfall heritage and pilgrimage sites to operationalise sustainability commitments.
- Accelerate physical completion of SD 2.0, SASCI, and CBDD projects, given the historical gap between sanctioning and ground delivery.
- Link skill-development outcomes to measurable employment and income indicators, not just training headcounts.
Prelims Pointers
Swadesh Darshan 1.0: 76 projects, 15 circuits, ₹5,292.57 cr sanctioned (2014-15 to 2018-19); 75 completed.
PRASHAD: Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive; 54 projects; key sites — Somnath, Srisailam, Govardhan.
SASCI: Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment; interest-free loans to states; 40 projects, 23 states, ₹3,295.76 cr.
Mamallapuram: first South Asian UNESCO site to win Green Destinations Silver certification.
NIDHI / NIDHI Plus: digital registration platforms for accommodation providers/travel agents.
WTTC: World Travel & Tourism Council — projects India to rise to 4th place globally in tourism economy ranking.
Practice Mains Question
“Tourism infrastructure schemes in India have evolved from fragmented circuit-based interventions to integrated, sustainability-oriented destination development.” Critically examine this transition with reference to Swadesh Darshan, PRASHAD, and SASCI.
GS Paper 3 · 250 words · 15 marks
Practice MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the PRASHAD scheme: (1) It is implemented exclusively at sites located outside India. (2) It focuses on pilgrimage and heritage infrastructure development. (3) Govardhan in Uttar Pradesh is one of its beneficiary sites. Which of the above are correct?
A) 1 and 2 only B) 2 and 3 only C) 1 and 3 only D) 1, 2 and 3Answer: B. PRASHAD operates within India (statement 1 wrong); it targets pilgrimage/heritage sites including Govardhan (statements 2, 3 correct).
Q2. Match List I (Scheme/Initiative) with List II (Feature): A. SASCI · B. CBDD · C. Travel for LiFE // 1. Environmentally responsible tourism practices · 2. Interest-free capital loans to states · 3. Sub-scheme under Swadesh Darshan 2.0. Choose the correct match:
A) A-2, B-3, C-1 B) A-1, B-2, C-3 C) A-3, B-1, C-2 D) A-2, B-1, C-3Answer: A. SASCI → state capital loans; CBDD → SD 2.0 sub-scheme; Travel for LiFE → sustainable practices.
Q3. With reference to international visitor statistics, “Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs)” differ from “International Arrivals” because:
A) FTAs include only domestic tourists B) International Arrivals exclude NRIs C) FTAs count only foreign nationals, while International Arrivals also include NRIs D) There is no difference between the two termsAnswer: C. International arrivals include both foreign nationals and NRIs; FTAs count only foreign nationals.
Article 02
Article 02
Samvidhan Hatya Diwas: 50 Years of the 1975 Emergency
Relevance: GS 1 (modern Indian history — post-independence consolidation) · GS 2 (Constitution, fundamental rights, polity, emergency provisions).
GS 1
GS 2
Image: Commemorative programme marking 50 years of the 1975 Emergency. [Replace src with image URL]
Key Data at a Glance
25 June 1975date the Emergency was proclaimed under Article 352
21 monthsduration of the Emergency; revoked 21 March 1977
3total invocations of Article 352 (1962, 1971, 1975)
44thConstitutional Amendment Act, 1978 — key post-Emergency safeguard
12 July 2024gazette notification designating 25 June as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas
50 yrsmilestone year of the Emergency's imposition (2025–26)
Issue in Brief
- The Ministry of Culture, through CCRT (Centre for Cultural Resources and Training), organised a commemorative programme for “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas,” an annual observance marking the 1975 Emergency, now in its 50th-year milestone.
- The observance is built around constitutional awareness — highlighting fundamental rights, the rule of law, and institutional safeguards introduced after the Emergency.
Static Background
- The Emergency was proclaimed on 25 June 1975 under Article 352 of the Constitution, citing “internal disturbance” as the ground; it lasted 21 months, until revocation on 21 March 1977.
- The Union Government, via a gazette notification (12 July 2024), designated 25 June as “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas,” an annual observance dedicated to constitutional awareness.
- Following the Emergency, the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 introduced safeguards: Emergency proclamation now requires written Cabinet advice (not the Prime Minister's advice alone); the ground of “internal disturbance” was replaced by “armed rebellion”; and the parliamentary approval window was shortened from two months to one month.
- CCRT is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture, based in New Delhi, mandated to promote cultural and heritage education.
- The Digital District Repository (DDR) is a separate, ongoing national initiative under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) that documents district-level freedom-struggle narratives, persons, and events; it was referenced at the same event as part of the Ministry's broader cultural-documentation work.
Key Dimensions
- Constitutional provision: Article 352 allows the President to declare a National Emergency on grounds of war, external aggression, or armed rebellion (originally “internal disturbance,” before 1978).
- Historical invocations: Article 352 has been invoked three times — 1962 (Chinese aggression), 1971 (Indo-Pak war), and 1975 (internal disturbance) — with no invocation since 1977.
- Federal-to-unitary shift: during a National Emergency, India's normally federal structure functions as a unitary system — the Centre can issue directions to states, and Parliament can legislate on State List subjects — without any formal constitutional amendment.
- Effect on fundamental rights: under the pre-1978 framework, a National Emergency could suspend Article 19 rights, and Article 359 allowed suspension of the right to approach courts for enforcement of fundamental rights (except Articles 20 and 21, post the 44th Amendment).
- Post-1977 safeguards: the 44th Amendment Act, 1978 is the principal constitutional response — it inserted procedural and substantive checks intended to prevent a repeat of unilateral emergency proclamation.
- Institutional commemoration: the Ministry of Culture's programming around the day centres on constitutional literacy — exhibitions and documentation explaining the Emergency's provisions, its effects, and the subsequent safeguards — aimed primarily at students and the public.
Critical Analysis
- The observance functions as a constitutional-literacy exercise, using a historical episode to anchor public understanding of how Article 352 operates and why the 44th Amendment's safeguards exist — a structurally useful pairing of history with enduring institutional design.
- Annual commemorations of historical events are, by their nature, an interpretive framing exercise — they select which aspects of a complex episode to foreground. This is a general feature of how any government marks historical anniversaries, not specific to this case.
- From a constitutional-design standpoint, the more durable takeaway is procedural: the shift from discretionary, single-authority advice to mandatory written Cabinet advice, and the narrowing of permissible grounds, represent some of the most significant post-Independence constitutional course-corrections — relevant well beyond any single anniversary.
Way Forward
- Continue using such observances to strengthen constitutional literacy — particularly the operation of Article 352 and the 44th Amendment safeguards — as part of school and civil-service curricula.
- Expand archival and documentary work (oral histories, primary records) on emergency-period governance through institutions like the National Archives and CCRT, with academic rigor and verifiable sourcing.
- Periodically revisit whether existing safeguards (Cabinet-advice requirement, narrowed grounds, judicial review under Minerva Mills and related precedents) remain adequate against contemporary risks to constitutional governance.
Prelims Pointers
Emergency 1975: declared 25 June 1975 under Article 352; revoked 21 March 1977; lasted 21 months.
Grounds under Article 352: war, external aggression, armed rebellion (originally “internal disturbance” before 1978).
National Emergency invocations: 1962, 1971, 1975 — three times; none since 1977.
44th Amendment Act, 1978: mandates written Cabinet advice; replaced “internal disturbance” with “armed rebellion”; reduced parliamentary approval timeline to one month.
Article 359: governs suspension of the right to move courts for enforcement of fundamental rights during emergency (Articles 20 and 21 protected post-44th Amendment).
“Samvidhan Hatya Diwas”: observed 25 June; notified via gazette notification dated 12 July 2024.
Practice Mains Question
The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 introduced key safeguards against the misuse of emergency powers. Discuss these safeguards with reference to the provisions of Article 352 and their significance for India's constitutional design.
GS Paper 2 · 250 words · 15 marks
Practice MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding Article 352 of the Constitution: (1) It originally permitted a National Emergency on grounds of “internal disturbance.” (2) This ground was later replaced by “armed rebellion” through a constitutional amendment. (3) A National Emergency has been invoked four times since 1950. Which of the above are correct?
A) 1 and 2 only B) 2 and 3 only C) 1 and 3 only D) 1, 2 and 3Answer: A. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Article 352 has been invoked three times (1962, 1971, 1975), not four — statement 3 is incorrect.
Q2. (Assertion–Reasoning) Assertion (A): The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 reduced scope for unilateral exercise of emergency power. Reason (R): It mandated that an Emergency proclamation be issued only on the written advice of the Union Cabinet, not the Prime Minister alone.
A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A B) Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A C) A is true, R is false D) A is false, R is trueAnswer: A. The written-Cabinet-advice requirement is precisely the mechanism that narrowed unilateral discretion in proclaiming Emergency.
Q3. During a National Emergency under Article 352, India's federal structure:
A) Is formally amended into a unitary structure by Parliament B) Functions as a unitary system without any formal constitutional amendment C) Remains entirely unaffected D) Is dissolved, and President's Rule is imposed in all statesAnswer: B. The shift to unitary functioning occurs automatically under emergency provisions, without need for a formal amendment.
