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Swadesh Darshan 2026 — SD 1.0, SD 2.0, CBDD, PRASHAD, SASCI guide

Swadesh Darshan India 2026 — RTI Wiki

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· 2026/04/19 05:02

Quick answer. “Swadesh Darshan” is the Government of India's flagship tourism-infrastructure scheme, run by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), that funds states to build and upgrade tourism destinations. It runs in two generations — Swadesh Darshan 1.0 (launched 2014–15) which sanctioned 76 thematic-circuit projects worth Rs 5,295.24 crore with Rs 4,964.75 crore released and 75 of 76 physically complete; and Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (launched 2022) which has so far sanctioned 53 projects worth Rs 2,208.31 crore with a sharper focus on sustainable, responsible, destination-led development. SD 2.0 carries three operational sub-schemes — Challenge-Based Destination Development (CBDD, 38 projects, Rs 697.94 crore), Development of Homestays in Tribal Areas under Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA, 5 states, 9 clusters, 365 homestays, Rs 17.52 crore), and the State Perspective Plan (SPP) through which states submit their Top-10 destinations. PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) is a parallel pilgrimage-circuit scheme — 54 projects in 28 States/UTs, Rs 1,726.74 crore sanctioned, Rs 1,213.56 crore released as on 6 March 2026. SASCI (Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment, Part III) issued by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance in August 2024, gives 50-year interest-free loans to states for Iconic Tourist Centres of global scale — 40 projects shortlisted at Rs 3,295.76 crore so far. Together these schemes are the load-bearing rails of every state's tourism budget. The MoT's EFC note for continuation 2026-27 to 2031-32 has been formulated and submitted for approval — once cleared, fresh proposals open.

This pillar guide gives you the full citizen-readable map of all six schemes — what each one funds, who decides, what's been sanctioned, who is left out, what RTI questions to ask, and how to verify projects in your own state. Every section links to a deep-dive article in the cluster.

The six schemes — at a glance

# Scheme Owner Period Sanctioned (Rs Cr) Projects Status
1 Swadesh Darshan 1.0 MoT 2014–15 to 2018–19 5,295.24 76 75 of 76 complete
2 Swadesh Darshan 2.0 MoT 2022–present 2,208.31 53 Ongoing
3 CBDD (sub-scheme of SD 2.0) MoT 2023–24 onwards 697.94 38 Ongoing
4 PM-JUGA Tribal Homestays (sub-scheme of SD 2.0) MoT 2025–26 17.52 365 homestays in 9 clusters Ongoing
5 PRASHAD (parallel) MoT 2015–present 1,726.74 54 (in 28 States/UTs) Ongoing
6 SASCI Part III — Iconic Tourist Centres DoE/MoF August 2024 3,295.76 40 Shortlisted; tendering / commencement

Combined central allocation: roughly Rs 13,200+ crore across the six schemes, before SASCI's full pipeline disbursement and the SD 1.0 final reconciliation. None of this counts state matching contributions — most state schemes (Uttarakhand, Himachal, Sikkim, Odisha, Meghalaya) layer their own subsidies on top, often quintupling the on-the-ground spend.

Swadesh Darshan 1.0 (2014–19) — the founding circuit scheme

Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (2022–) — sustainable, destination-led

CBDD — Challenge Based Destination Development (sub-scheme of SD 2.0)

PM-JUGA Tribal Homestays (sub-scheme of SD 2.0)

PRASHAD — pilgrimage rejuvenation (parallel scheme)

SASCI Part III — Iconic Tourist Centres of global scale

ACA — Assistance to Central Agency (separate, smaller envelope)

The Ministry's Assistance to Central Agencies scheme funds ITDC, WAPCOS, BECIL, ASI, Port Trust of India, Ministry of Railways, etc. for tourism-infrastructure projects at the central-agency level. Indicative project — Hospet Railway Station upgrade (March 2017, Rs 5.41 cr, complete) supports Hampi tourism. Components: waiting/retiring rooms, modern toilets, executive lounges, cloak-room, passenger guidance, circulating-area improvement, accessibility for persons with disabilities, booking-office upgrade.

Continuation beyond 2025–26 — the EFC pipeline

Why these schemes matter to citizens

  1. Public money on visible ground. Together these schemes will spend in excess of Rs 13,000 crore on visible infrastructure — visitor centres, mandapams, signage, parking, sewage, ropes, eco-bridges. Quality and pace are improved by citizen oversight.
  2. Local-economy multiplier. Every sanctioned project triggers downstream spend on hospitality, transport, food, guides. An accurate registry of sanctions in your district lets you push for the catalytic services around it.
  3. Eco-sensitivity protections. SD 2.0 mandates carrying-capacity assessment, O&M plans, low-impact construction. The compliance is uneven. Coorg's experience — 1,000+ landslides in 10 years, over-tourism concentrated in 5 spots — shows what happens without enforcement.
  4. Tribal + rural inclusion. PM-JUGA puts homestays in tribal villages on a national footing. Citizens can verify whether the 365 sanctioned homestays exist on the ground and whether disbursement reached the village SHG / cluster lead.
  5. Pilgrimage modernisation. PRASHAD upgrades civic infrastructure at temple towns. The component-wise sanctions are public; deviations are detectable on the ground.

Where Coorg fits in (and why it doesn't, fully)

The MoT Coorg Background Note (Parliamentary Standing Committee study visit, 4 May 2026) is explicit: no project has been sanctioned in Coorg under MoT or SASCI Destination Development schemes. Karnataka's 10-destination SPP for SD 2.0 didn't include Coorg. The pitch from the Karnataka Tourism Department (May 2026) seeks 8 areas of central support — funding for Coorg as a model eco-tourism destination under SD 2.0, technical assistance for Destination Master Planning, a dedicated Coffee Tourism Council, international branding, regional air connectivity (UDAN airstrip + helipads), heritage grants (Ainmane and Devarakadu), NH-275 green-transport expansion, and disaster-warning systems. Citizens in Coorg, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and other Western-Ghat districts can mirror this pitch in their own RTI to the State Tourism Department asking why the district is not in the SPP and what it would take to be added. See Eco-tourism + carrying capacity in the Western Ghats.

The 8-article Swadesh Darshan cluster

Infographic idea

“The Six-Lane Tourism Highway” — a horizontal multi-lane diagram with the citizen-traveller at the centre and six lanes of central scheme funding flowing in:

Right margin: a simple stacked bar showing Karnataka's central-tourism receipts (~Rs 362 crore total to date) vs Karnataka's submitted-but-unfunded ask (~Rs 1,200 crore including Coorg-specific support).

Image suggestions

Frequently asked questions

Is "Swadesh Darshan" the same as "PRASHAD"?

No. Swadesh Darshan funds tourism circuits and destinations; PRASHAD specifically funds pilgrimage and spiritual-heritage sites. Both are MoT schemes but they have different guidelines and project pipelines. PRASHAD is older (2015) and runs in parallel.

Can a private homestay owner apply directly to MoT for funding?

Generally no. SD 2.0 funds States; PM-JUGA funds village clusters via the State Tribal Welfare / Tourism Department. Individual homestay owners get to register state-wise homestay registration + apply for state subsidies; central capital flows through the state. See homestay government schemes article.

What happens to a project that's stuck — like Karnataka's SD 1.0 Coastal Circuit?

Persistent non-progress triggers a CSMC review (Central Sanctioning & Monitoring Committee). If the State cannot demonstrate progress, the project is dropped and the released amount is returned to the Consolidated Fund of India with interest. Karnataka returned Rs 19.13 crore + interest in 2018 after no progress on the coastal circuit project for two years.

Why is Karnataka's central tourism receipts so low (Rs 362 crore total) given its tourism scale?

A combination of: (a) the SD 1.0 Coastal Circuit reversal in 2018, (b) Karnataka not submitting Coorg under SD 2.0 SPP — limiting its destination pipeline, © most SASCI projects are recent (FY 2024-25) and not yet drawing utilisation. Karnataka's State tourism budget is several multiples of central receipts, but the central pipeline is meaningful for marquee destinations.

How do I know if my district has a sanctioned project?

Three ways: (a) ask your State Tourism Department PIO under §6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005 for the list of central-scheme sanctions in your district — see RTI tracking guide; (b) cross-reference the MoT's Parliamentary Standing Committee background notes (these list state-wise sanctions); © use Government API directory to query data.gov.in API for MoT scheme datasets.

When will fresh proposals be invited?

The MoT has formulated an EFC note for FY 2026-27 to FY 2031-32; once approved, States will be invited to submit fresh proposals via the State Perspective Plan (SPP) framework. This is expected to be early FY 2026-27.

What is "carrying capacity" and why does it matter under SD 2.0?

Carrying capacity = the maximum number of visitors a destination can absorb without ecological degradation, infrastructure overload, or cultural-fabric damage. SD 2.0 mandates a standardised assessment template before sanction. Coorg has demonstrated what happens when this is ignored — 90% of visits concentrated in 5 spots, 1,000+ landslides in a decade, escalating human-wildlife conflict. See Western-Ghat eco-tourism article.

Is the SASCI loan really interest-free?

Yes. Department of Expenditure / Ministry of Finance issues SASCI Part III as a 50-year interest-free loan to states. The principal is repayable; no interest. This is meant to capitalise long-tail tourism infrastructure that would not justify commercial debt. The state services the principal; the centre absorbs the interest cost.

Citizen-action checklist

  1. [ ] Identify your district's sanctioned projects under each of the six schemes (use the RTI guide)
  2. [ ] Track physical progress on the State Tourism Department portal (each state publishes monthly progress)
  3. [ ] If your district is missing from SPP, file an RTI to the State Tourism Department asking why and what evidence is needed for inclusion
  4. [ ] For PRASHAD-funded temples, verify component-wise execution against the sanctioned DPR
  5. [ ] For tribal-homestay clusters, verify physical homestay numbers against the schematic guideline release
  6. [ ] Track the EFC continuation notification — once approved, fresh-proposal window opens
  7. [ ] Compare your state's central receipts with peer states — surface gaps to your State Tourism Minister + MP
  8. [ ] Register on the MoT's Incredible India portal if you operate a homestay — visibility is bundled into many SD 2.0 sub-projects
  9. [ ] Cross-link any PRASHAD / SASCI temple-town infrastructure with carrying-capacity data — push your municipal corporation to publish it

Sources

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Last reviewed: 4 May 2026 — RTI Wiki editorial team. All scheme citations verified against the MoT Parliamentary Standing Committee Background Note (4 May 2026) + MoT operational guidelines + DoE SASCI guidelines as on 4 May 2026.

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