BHARAT GAURAV SCHEME – GOVERNMENT SCHEME
News:
A tourist train to Kashmir Valley under Bharat Gaurav scheme
What's in the news?
● The
Indian Railways, in association with the South Star Rail, a Coimbatore-based
company, will operate a tourist train to Kashmir Valley under the Bharat Gaurav
scheme.
Key takeaways:
● The
special train during summer holidays is aimed at promoting the country’s rich
cultural heritage.
Bharat Gaurav Scheme:
Objective:
● To
showcase India's rich cultural heritage
and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world,
through Bharat Gaurav Trains (Theme-based Tourist Circuit trains)
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Railways
Features:
● It
was announced in 2021 under the theme-based
tourist circuit trains. These trains will be run by both private players
and IRCTC, in theme-based circuits.
● Anyone, from societies,
trusts, consortia and even state governments can apply to take these trains and
run them on special tourism circuits based on a theme.
● Service Provider will
offer all-inclusive packages to tourists including
rail travel, hotel accommodation, sightseeing arrangement, visit to
historical/heritage sites, tour guides etc.
● The
tenure of this public-private
arrangement is a minimum of two years and maximum of the service life of
the coach.
● Under
the Bharat Gaurav scheme, the operator
holds the freedom to decide the route, the halts, the services provided and the
tariff. However, the railways will ensure that there is no abnormality in
the prices.
● These
trains are not regular trains that will run as per a timetable but will be
more on the lines of the Ramayana Express being run by the IRCTC.
● The
Southern Railway became the first zone in Indian Railways to get the first
registered service provider under the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ scheme.
Significance:
● These
trains will help realise India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent
historical places to the people of India and the world.
● They
will also help in tapping the vast tourism potential of India.