Ambedkar Circuit

In News

• The Bharat Gaurav Tourist train tour on Ambedkar Circuit was flagged from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station.

About Ambedkar circuit

• The Ambedkar Circuit was the fourth in the list of special tourist circuits namely, the Ramayana Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, and North East Circuit.
• IRCTC in association with the Ministry of Tourism is operating its first tour on the Ambedkar circuit.
• The eight-day special tour will include visits to prominent places associated with the life of Dr. Ambedkar like New Delhi, Mhow, Nagpur, and the sacred Buddhist sites of Sanchi, Sarnath, Gaya, Rajgir, and Nalanda.

Need and Significance 

• Babasaheb worked all his life for equality and fraternity and the train is representative of that equality and the passengers traveling will come back with many memories and knowledge about the principles of Babasaheb Ambedkar.
  • It aims to attract a wider tourist base besides the Dalit community, who frequent these key destinations as a pilgrimage.

About ‘Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train’

• The Ministry of Railways is promoting the cultural and religious heritage of India through its fleet of Bharat Gaurav Tourist Trains which are being operated by Railways on various famous theme-based circuits to showcase the cultural heritage of this great nation.
• It is being operated under the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiative which is aimed at promoting domestic tourism and is a joint collaboration between the Ministries of Tourism and Railways.

‘Dekho Apna Desh’ scheme

• The Ministry of Tourism launched the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiative with the objective of creating awareness among the citizens about the rich heritage and culture of the country and encouraging citizens to travel within the country.
• The scheme aims to push people, especially middle-class citizens, to travel broadly in India rather than flying abroad. 
• The new tourism scheme will also likely expand employment prospects in the tourism industry and also boost the country’s economy.

Source: TH