Content

1. Tripura Sundari Temple: A New Dawn for Spiritual Tourism in the North-East
2. Seeds of the Future: Clean Plant Programme Gaining Momentum

Tripura Sundari Temple: A New Dawn for Spiritual Tourism in the North-East

Why in News

• On 22 September 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the redeveloped Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaipur, Gomati district, Tripura.
• The project, sanctioned in 2020–21 under PRASHAD scheme with an outlay of ₹34.43 crore, has upgraded facilities, connectivity, and spiritual tourism infrastructure.
• The event highlights the government’s focus on making the North-East a hub for spiritual and heritage tourism, linking it with the vision of “Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi” and Viksit Bharat 2047.

Relevance

• GS1: Indian heritage, Shakti Peethas, syncretism in NE traditions.
• GS2: Centre–State coordination in PRASHAD, tourism governance.
• GS3: Infrastructure, sustainable tourism, employment, Act East policy.

PRASHAD Scheme – Overview

• Launch: 2015, Ministry of Tourism, Central Sector Scheme.
• Full Form: Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive.
• Coverage: 54 projects across 28 States/UTs till 2025.
• Objective:
  • Provide world-class amenities at pilgrimage/heritage sites.
  • Preserve sanctity while ensuring modern infrastructure.
  • Generate local employment and promote sustainable tourism.

Significance of Tripura Sundari Temple Redevelopment

• Historical & Cultural:
  • Built in 1501 A.D. by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya.
  • One of the 51 Shakti Peethas; state’s name Tripura derives from Goddess Tripura Sundari.
  • Known as Matabari and Kurma Pith (tortoise-shaped base).
• Redevelopment Features:
  • Food court, multipurpose halls, Prasad ghar, modern sanitation, solar PV, storm-water management.
  • 51 Shakti Peethas Park showcasing replicas → cultural branding.
• Impact:
  • Positions Tripura as a major spiritual tourism hub.
  • Connects with Kamakhya Temple (Assam) to strengthen a Shakti Circuit in NE India.

Broader Context – Spiritual Tourism in North-East

• Key Sites:
  • Shaktism: Kamakhya (Assam), Tripura Sundari (Tripura), Parshuram Kund (Arunachal).
  • Vaishnavism: Majuli Satras (Assam), Manipuri Raas traditions.
  • Buddhism: Tawang (Arunachal), Rumtek (Sikkim), Mon monasteries (Nagaland).
• Cross-Border Potential: NE can attract pilgrims from Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar.
• Integration: Combines religious tourism + cultural festivals + eco-tourism, enhancing the Act East Policy outreach.

PRASHAD’s Role in NER

• Past Projects: Kamakhya (2015–16), Meghalaya (2020–21), Nagaland (2018–19, 2022–23), Mizoram (2022–23, 2024–25), Parshuram Kund (Arunachal, 2020–21), Yuksom (Sikkim, 2020–21).
• Model Shift: Moves NER from “periphery image” to core tourism circuit.
• Livelihoods: Expanding homestays, guides, handicrafts, eco-cultural enterprises.

Strategic Importance

• Economic: Spiritual tourism accounts for ~60% of India’s domestic travel. NER stands to gain from this market.
• Cultural Diplomacy: Positions India as custodian of Hindu, Buddhist, and syncretic traditions.
• Regional Balance: Ensures development beyond metros; integrates remote NE states into national mainstream.
• Vision 2047: Aligns with E-A-S-T principle (Empower, Act, Strengthen, Transform) for Northeast.

Challenges

• Connectivity bottlenecks (last-mile rail/road/air).
• Risk of over-tourism damaging fragile ecology.
• Sustaining sanctity vs commercialisation balance.
• Post-project maintenance and governance capacity.

Conclusion

The Tripura Sundari Temple inauguration is not just a religious event but a policy milestone:

• It illustrates how PRASHAD scheme is reshaping spiritual tourism by merging heritage preservation with infrastructure development.
• For the Northeast, it signifies a new dawn of temple tourism, linking faith with jobs, regional pride, and cultural diplomacy.
• Together, these efforts position the NER as a heritage-driven growth engine within the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Seeds of the Future: Clean Plant Programme Gaining Momentum

Why in News

• On 21 September 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture highlighted progress of the Clean Plant Programme (CPP) through field actions, hazard analysis, lab assessments, and nursery evaluations.
• CPP, approved in August 2024 with ₹1,765.67 crore outlay (including $98M ADB loan), is emerging as a transformative horticulture initiative.

Relevance

• GS2: Government policies & interventions (Agriculture, Horticulture, One Health approach).
• GS3: Science & Technology in agriculture, climate resilience, food security, exports.
• GS1: Role of horticulture in rural livelihoods, nutrition, equitable development.

What is the Clean Plant Programme?

• Definition: A centrally approved initiative to provide farmers with virus-free, high-quality planting material for horticultural crops.
• Nodal Agency: National Horticulture Board (NHB).
• Technical Support: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• Funding: ₹1,765.67 crore (includes ADB loan).
• Core Idea: Prevention of systemic diseases (viruses, pathogens) at the seed/planting material stage → healthier crops, higher yields, lower losses.

Key Features

• 9 Clean Plant Centres planned (3 in Maharashtra: Pune for grapes, Nagpur for oranges, Solapur for pomegranates).
• Modern nurseries: ₹3 crore for large, ₹1.5 crore for medium; target to produce 8 crore disease-free seedlings annually.
• National laboratory in Pune: For original plant species research.
• International Cooperation: Israel, Netherlands for technology & expertise.
• Process: Acquire → test → treat (if infected via tissue culture, cryo, heat therapy) → propagate → distribute.

On-Ground Progress (2024–25)

• Website launched: Central hub for CPP resources (cpp-beta.nhb.gov.in).
• Hazard analysis completed for grapevine (578 samples tested); underway for apples (535 samples).
• Nursery visits: Maharashtra (2024) and J&K (2024) for climate-specific evaluation.
• Laboratory assessments: Bioinformatics pipeline for high-throughput sequencing (HTS).
• First Clean Plant Centre: Bidding underway for design.

Benefits of CPP

• For Farmers: Higher yields, income stability, reduced losses from viral outbreaks.
• For Nurseries: Certification and infrastructure support.
• For Consumers: Better quality, nutritious fruits.
• For Exports: Stronger market credibility for Indian horticulture produce.
• For Equity & Inclusion: Access ensured for small/marginal farmers; women farmers integrated into training & planning.

Broader Significance

• Climate Resilience: Virus-free crops more tolerant to stress; helps adapt to rising pest-disease interactions under climate change.
• Economic Impact: Horticulture already contributes >30% of agriculture GDP; CPP boosts India’s competitiveness.
• Food Security: Enhances fruit quality, reduces post-harvest losses.
• Health & Nutrition: Supports India’s focus on nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

Alignment with Wider Initiatives

• Mission LiFE (COP26): CPP promotes sustainable farming by reducing pesticide dependence.
• One Health Approach: Plant health → directly linked with human, animal, environmental health.
• MIDH (Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture): Complements MIDH’s goals of productivity boost (12.56 MT/ha in 2024–25 from 12.10 MT/ha in 2019–20).

Challenges

• Ensuring wide adoption by small/marginal farmers.
• Capacity of state agricultural universities and labs to scale up diagnostics.
• Certification compliance and monitoring across thousands of nurseries.
• Need for sustained funding and international technology exchange.

Conclusion

• CPP is shifting Indian horticulture from “cure” to “prevention” by investing in clean, disease-free planting material.
• With strong institutional backing (NHB, ICAR, ADB), CPP could become a game-changer like the Green Revolution and White Revolution—this time for horticulture.
• Future: Expansion to more crops (mango, guava, litchi, avocado, dragon fruit), digital certification systems, and farmer-centric training will determine CPP’s success.