Why in news?
In the Union Budget 2025–26, the Ministry of Tourism has dedicated 4.3% of the total scheme outlay under the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) component of the Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
 
Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD 2.0) focuses on:

• Integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits
• Enhancement of infrastructure, human capital, and destination management
• Promoting sustainability and a destination-centric approach.

PM-JUGA is mentioned as a government initiative aiming to:

• Drive inclusive and sustainable growth
• Empower tribal communities by merging existing government schemes
• Focus on overcoming basic infrastructure and socio-economic challenges for tribal areas.

Impact Assessment:

• There has been no specific, stand-alone impact assessment focused exclusively on the participation of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), or Other Backward Classes (OBC) in Swadesh Darshan or Dekho Apna Desh schemes.

Recent Updates             

• Union Budget 2025–26: The Ministry of Tourism has earmarked 4.3% of the total Swadesh Darshan Scheme outlay—about ₹103crore under TSP, with ₹88crore for the Tribal Area Sub Plan and ₹15crore for the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA).
• Focus of Investment: Dedicated funds aim to promote tourism infrastructure, cultural preservation, and upliftment of tribal communities. Projects under the “Tribal Circuit” theme enhance tribal heritage visibility and integrate communities into the tourism industry.
• Homestays in Tribal Areas: Guidelines released for “Development of Homestays in Tribal Areas”—supporting development of 1,000 homestays with up to ₹5lakh for village/community needs, ₹5lakh for new construction (two rooms per household), and ₹3lakh for renovations. No funds have been released under the scheme as of August 2025.

• Skill Development: SC and ST candidates receive fee exemption for the Ministry’s Incredible India Tourist Facilitator (IITF) certification program.
• Monitoring & Transparency: The Ministry puts emphasis on transparency and expects States/UTs to ensure inclusive planning. However, there is no formal mechanism for community-wise verification of beneficiary data, nor any separate impact assessment for SC/ST/OBC groups under these tourism schemes. A 2019 third-party assessment found positive impacts on local livelihoods and employment.
• Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA): A 5-year umbrella initiative (2024-25 to 2028-29) is underway for holistic tribal area development, with TSP funds supporting these efforts. Coverage includes 549 districts and 2,911 blocks across 26 states and 4 UTs, aiming for saturation of tribal-majority villages.

Key Takeaways

• The government has made significant new allocations for tribal tourism and development under the TSP in 2025.
• New initiatives, such as the homestay scheme and broader DAJGUA program, target infrastructure, livelihoods, and inclusion in tribal regions.
• Implementation and fund release are still in initial stages, with emphasis on transparency and inclusive planning but lacking direct community-level impact assessments.

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