एसएएससीआई योजना: पर्यटन केंद्र विकास हेतु 40 परियोजनाओं को मंजूरी

13 Aug एसएएससीआई योजना: पर्यटन केंद्र विकास हेतु 40 परियोजनाओं को मंजूरी

Union Ministry of TourismDPR templateCentral fundingTourism projectsState allocations

✎ SASCI is a scheme under the Ministry of Tourism, providing financial assistance to states for developing globally renowned tourist destinations, with 100% central funding for select projects and real-time monitoring via the PMIS…

Subject Relevance — Where This Topic Fits

• GS Paper II — Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations  |  GS Paper III — Infrastructure, Investment Models, and Tourism
• Prelims: SASCI Scheme, Tourism Infrastructure, Central Sector Scheme, Union Tourism Ministry, Detailed Project Report (DPR), Programme Management Information System (PMIS), Union Budget 2024-25
• Essay: Tourism as a Catalyst for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development, Balancing Heritage Conservation and Economic Expansion in India’s Tourism Sector

Quick Revision: SASCI is a scheme under the Ministry of Tourism, providing financial assistance to states for developing globally renowned tourist destinations, with 100% central funding for select projects and real-time monitoring via the PMIS platform.

Why is this in the news?

The Union Ministry of Tourism has issued operational guidelines and a Detailed Project Report (DPR) template for the Special Assistance Scheme for State Capital Investment (SASCI) aimed at developing globally renowned tourist destinations. This initiative has seen 40 projects across 23 states approved, with significant central funding, including 100% central assistance for two Karnataka projects worth ₹3295.76 crore in FY 2024-25. The scheme’s revised guidelines for 2025-26 now allow states previously ineligible under SASCI 2024-25 to access up to ₹250 crore for tourism projects, with Nagaland, Mizoram, and Himachal Pradesh receiving allocations.

Background

• Tourism is a key sector under India’s economic growth strategy, contributing approximately 6.8% to the national GDP and employing over 8% of the workforce (as per recent economic surveys).
• The scheme aligns with the National Tourism Policy 2022, which emphasizes destination development, skill enhancement, and digital integration to position India as a top global tourist destination.
• India’s tourism sector faces challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, seasonal demand, and uneven regional development, necessitating targeted interventions like SASCI.
• The scheme is implemented through a multi-tier institutional framework, including central ministries, state governments, and project management agencies, to ensure coordinated development.
• Monitoring mechanisms, including the Programme Management Information System (PMIS), have been introduced to track physical and financial progress of projects in real time.

What is the Special Assistance Scheme for State Capital Investment (SASCI)?

• SASCI is a scheme launched by the Ministry of Tourism to provide financial assistance to state governments for the development of globally renowned tourist destinations in India.
• The scheme aims to enhance tourism infrastructure, improve connectivity, and strengthen the existing tourism ecosystem at identified destinations through comprehensive project planning and execution.
• Financial assistance under SASCI is provided based on the submission of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) that outline project feasibility, expected outcomes, and sustainability measures.
• Key evaluation criteria for project approval include transport connectivity, existing tourism ecosystem, capacity enhancement, service availability, project impact, and expected value addition in terms of tourist footfall, expenditure, employment generation, and private investment.
• The scheme operates through a structured institutional framework, including a Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) and Mission Directorate (MD), with representation from multiple ministries to ensure inter-ministerial coordination.
• SASCI projects are monitored through the Programme Management Information System (PMIS), a digital platform that tracks physical progress, financial disbursement, and compliance with statutory clearances.
• The scheme includes provisions for 100% central funding for certain projects, particularly those in states with lower tourism infrastructure, to accelerate development and ensure equitable growth.
• Revised guidelines for 2025-26 expand eligibility, allowing states that did not benefit in the previous fiscal to access up to ₹250 crore for new tourism projects, with allocations already made for Nagaland, Mizoram, and Himachal Pradesh.

Key Features

Feature	Significance
Centralised approval mechanism	Ensures inter-ministerial coordination via Central Approval and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) for holistic tourism development.
Project DPR template	Standardised framework for Detailed Project Reports, including statutory clearances, stakeholder consultations, and O&M provisions.
Programme Management Information System (PMIS)	Digital platform for real-time monitoring of physical progress, fund utilisation, and reporting across 40 approved projects.
100% central funding for select projects	Karnataka’s two projects (₹3295.76 crore) receive full central assistance under SASCI 2024-25, ensuring fiscal support without state burden.
State eligibility criteria	States submit proposals evaluated on transport connectivity, existing tourism ecosystem, capacity, and projected economic impact (tourist inflow, employment, private investment).

Why it Matters

Economic Development

• Stimulates regional economic growth through enhanced tourism infrastructure, creating direct and indirect employment in hospitality, transport, and allied sectors.
• Attracts private investment in tourism projects, leveraging public funds to generate multiplier effects in local economies.
• Increases tourist expenditure, diversifying income sources for states dependent on seasonal or limited tourism revenue streams.

Strategic Infrastructure

• Improves transport connectivity to high-potential tourist destinations, reducing logistical bottlenecks and enhancing accessibility.
• Develops sustainable tourism ecosystems, balancing conservation with visitor management to preserve natural and cultural heritage.
• Integrates multi-modal transport solutions (e.g., airports, highways) to facilitate seamless travel across states.

Governance and Monitoring

• Institutionalises a robust monitoring framework with PMIS, enabling data-driven decision-making and transparency in fund utilisation.
• Ensures compliance with statutory clearances and environmental norms through mandatory inclusion in DPRs.
• Facilitates inter-ministerial coordination via CSMC, aligning tourism development with broader national priorities (e.g., Swachh Bharat, Digital India).

Inclusive Development

• Extends support to North-Eastern states (Nagaland, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh) under SASCI 2025-26, addressing regional disparities in tourism infrastructure.
• Promotes eco-tourism and adventure hubs, diversifying tourism offerings beyond traditional cultural sites.
• Encourages state-led initiatives, empowering local governments to tailor projects to regional strengths and needs.

Challenges

1. Delays in statutory clearances

• Environmental and forest clearances under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1980, often face procedural bottlenecks.
• Land acquisition challenges under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013, may stall project timelines.

UPSC Link: Forest Conservation Act 1980

2. Sustainable tourism management

• Risk of over-tourism degrading fragile ecosystems, particularly in eco-sensitive zones like Assam’s Kaziranga or Himachal Pradesh’s hill stations.
• Need for robust carrying capacity assessments to prevent environmental degradation while maximising economic benefits.

UPSC Link: Carrying Capacity

3. State capacity and coordination

• Variability in state administrative capabilities may lead to uneven project execution, despite central funding.
• Inter-state coordination required for trans-boundary tourism circuits (e.g., Assam-Arunachal Pradesh adventure routes).

UPSC Link: Inter-State Relations

4. Private sector participation

• Reluctance of private investors to commit capital in high-risk or low-return tourism projects without adequate guarantees.
• Need for innovative financing models (e.g., viability gap funding, public-private partnerships) to attract investment.

UPSC Link: PPP Models

5. Monitoring and evaluation gaps

• PMIS’s effectiveness depends on real-time data reporting; delays or inaccuracies may undermine its utility.
• Post-project evaluation mechanisms to assess long-term socio-economic impacts are often under-emphasised.

UPSC Link: MIS in Governance

Challenges — UPSC Perspective

Issue	Concern
Environmental compliance	Delays due to multi-level clearances under forest and wildlife protection laws.
Land acquisition	Legal and social challenges under LARR Act, 2013, affecting project timelines.
State-level coordination	Divergent administrative capacities and priorities hindering uniform project execution.
Private investment	Low appetite for high-risk tourism projects without sovereign guarantees or incentives.
Data accuracy in PMIS	Risk of incomplete or delayed reporting, compromising monitoring effectiveness.

Government Initiatives — Must-Memorise for Prelims

• Swadesh Darshan Scheme
• PRASAD Scheme
• National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD)

Way Forward

• Strengthen inter-ministerial coordination via CSMC to fast-track statutory clearances for tourism projects.
• Develop state-specific capacity-building programs to enhance administrative efficiency in project execution.
• Incentivise private sector participation through viability gap funding, tax breaks, and risk-sharing mechanisms.
• Integrate environmental impact assessments into DPR templates to ensure sustainable tourism development.
• Expand PMIS’s scope to include post-project evaluation metrics for long-term impact assessment.
• Promote cluster-based tourism development to leverage economies of scale and regional synergies.
• Establish a dedicated grievance redressal mechanism for land acquisition and environmental compliance issues.
• Encourage states to adopt digital tools for real-time monitoring of tourist footfall, revenue, and service quality.

UPSC Value Addition

Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Special Assistance Scheme for Capital Investment (SASCI) for tourism development:
1. SASCI is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at developing globally renowned tourism destinations in India.
2. The scheme provides 100% central funding for all approved projects without any state contribution.
3. The Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS) is used to track the physical and financial progress of SASCI projects.
4. The scheme mandates the inclusion of statutory clearances and stakeholder consultations in the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

How many of the above statements are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All

Answer: All — Statements 1, 3, and 4 are correct. Statement 2 is incorrect because while 100% central funding is provided for certain projects under SASCI Part-III, the scheme also allows for partial funding in other cases, and state contributions are not entirely ruled out.

Q2. Assertion (A): The Central Approval and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) under SASCI includes representatives from multiple ministries such as Civil Aviation, Roads and Highways, and Environment.

Reason (R): The inclusion of diverse ministries ensures coordinated development and addresses cross-sectoral challenges in tourism infrastructure projects.

Code:
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, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true.

1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D

Answer: B — Both the assertion and reason are true. The CSMC under SASCI indeed includes representatives from multiple ministries to facilitate coordinated development, and the reason correctly explains the purpose of this inclusion.

Q3. Match the following states with the amount of special assistance sanctioned under SASCI for the year 2025-26:

Column I (State) Column II (Amount Sanctioned in ₹ Crores)
a. Nagaland 1. 250
b. Mizoram 2. 250
c. Himachal Pradesh 3. 250

1. a-1, b-2, c-3; a-3, b-1, c-2; a-2, b-3, c-1; a-1, b-3, c-2
2. answer_key_mapper_list_1_to_3
3. answer_key_mapper_list_2_to_1

Answer: answer_key_mapper_list_1_to_3 — All three states—Nagaland, Mizoram, and Himachal Pradesh—were sanctioned ₹250 crore each under SASCI Part-II for tourism projects in 2025-26.

Mains Practice Question

✍ The Special Assistance Scheme for Capital Investment (SASCI) represents a paradigm shift in India’s approach to tourism infrastructure development by adopting a multi-dimensional, inter-ministerial, and outcome-oriented framework. Critically analyse this statement with reference to the objectives, implementation mechanisms, and monitoring systems of SASCI. (15 Marks)

Approach: MODEL-ANSWER SKELETON:
1. **Introduction (2 Marks)**: Define SASCI and its core objective of developing globally renowned tourism destinations in India.
2. **Objectives and Scope (3 Marks)**:
– Enhance tourism infrastructure at globally renowned destinations.
– Foster sustainable tourism ecosystems.
– Attract private investment and generate employment.
– Ensure equitable distribution of benefits across states.
3. **Implementation Framework (4 Marks)**:
– **Multi-tiered institutional structure**: Central Approval and Monitoring Committee (CSMC), Mission Directorate (MD), and State Institutional Frameworks.
– **Role of inter-ministerial coordination**: Inclusion of ministries such as Civil Aviation, Roads and Highways, Environment, and Railways to address cross-sectoral challenges.
– **Project approval process**: Invitation of proposals from states, evaluation based on criteria like transport connectivity, existing tourism ecosystem, capacity, and expected outcomes.
4. **Monitoring and Accountability (3 Marks)**:
– **Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS)**: A digital platform for tracking physical and financial progress, ensuring transparency and accountability.
– **Regular oversight**: Multi-level monitoring to ensure timely completion and adherence to DPRs.
5. **Critical Analysis (3 Marks)**:
– **Strengths**: Outcome-oriented approach, inter-ministerial coordination, digital monitoring, and focus on sustainability.
– **Challenges**: Potential delays in statutory clearances, over-reliance on central funding, and ensuring equitable distribution across states.
– **Comparative perspective**: Contrast with previous schemes like the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, highlighting improvements in governance and monitoring.
6. **Conclusion (2 Marks)**: Summarize the significance of SASCI in redefining India’s tourism development strategy and suggest measures for further improvement.

Source: PIB (Press Information Bureau)

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