In News:

emple authorities have submitted a ?114.06 crore proposal to the Centre under the PRASAD/PRASHAD Scheme for improving pilgrim and tourist amenities at the Srikalahasteeswara Temple, Andhra Pradesh.

Srikalahasti Temple — Key Facts

• Location:Srikalahasti, Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh.
• River: Situated on the banks of the Swarnamukhi River and adjoining a hill.
• Significance: Ancient Shaivite temple, also known as “Dakshina Kailasam” (Southern Kailash).
• Architecture: Predominantly Dravidian style, noted for elaborate carvings and sculptures.
• History:
  • Inner temple dates to around the 5th century.
  • Major expansion associated with Chola rulers, particularly Rajendra Chola I.
  • Kulottunga Chola I contributed to its gopurams.
  • The Vijayanagara Empire also supported its development.
  • The 120-metre-high Rajagopuram was constructed during the Vijayanagara period.
• Kerala? No—this is an important Andhra Pradesh temple, useful for location-based Prelims questions.

PRASAD/PRASHAD Scheme

• Ministry: Ministry of Tourism.
• Nature: Central Sector Scheme.
• Objective: Integrated development of identified pilgrimage and spiritual heritage destinations to improve tourist/pilgrim infrastructure.
• Renamed: In October 2017, PRASAD was renamed National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD).
• Funding: Financial assistance is provided to State Governments and UT Administrations for approved infrastructure projects.

Infrastructure Supported

Projects can include:

• Entry and last-mile connectivity
• Roads, rail and water connectivity
• Information/interpretation centres
• Parking and drinking water
• Toilets, cloakrooms and waiting areas
• First-aid facilities
• Lighting/illumination
• Eco-friendly transport
• Craft bazaars, souvenir shops and cafeterias
• Telecom and internet facilities

In News:

The Government has expanded India’s e-Visa entry network by notifying 11 additional entry points for foreign nationals holding valid e-Visas.

Key Facts

• New entry points:
  • 9 Land Ports: Agartala, Darranga, Gede, Ghojadanga, Haridaspur, Jaigaon, Dawki, Moreh and Attari (Road).
  • 2 Airports: Bhopal and Tirupati.
• Total authorised e-Visa entry points:88
  • 37 Airports
  • 38 Seaports
  • 13 Land Ports
• e-Visa launched:2014, initially with Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for citizens of 43 countries; subsequently expanded to 172 countries.
• Coverage: e-Visa is available across 17 sub-categories, including tourism, business, medical, student, mountaineering, transit and cruise-related categories.
• Around 95% of e-Visa applications are processed within 72 hours, while approximately 78% of all visas issued are electronic visas.

Significance

• Liberalises and simplifies India’s visa regime.
• Facilitates tourism, business and legitimate foreign travel.
• Improves accessibility at airports and land borders.
• Strengthens technology-enabled border management while retaining security safeguards.
• Expands the role of digital governance in immigration services.

In News:

The Government of India is rolling out a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system for food subsidies under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli from 14 August 2026.

Key Features

• First UTs: Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli will be the first UTs to provide food subsidies to all eligible PMGKAY beneficiaries through programmable Digital Rupee (e?) tokens.
• Direct transfer: Subsidies will be credited to beneficiaries’ CBDC wallets, instead of conventional bank accounts.
• Utilisation: The e? subsidy can be used to purchase foodgrains from empanelled merchants.
• Programmability: Digital tokens can be designed for a specified purpose, enabling targeted utilisation of welfare benefits.
• Earlier pilots: CBDC-based welfare delivery was previously piloted in Puducherry and Gujarat.

Objectives

• Reduce leakages and diversion of subsidies.
• Minimisecash handling.
• Enable real-time, secure and end-to-end traceable transactions.
• Improve monitoring and accountability of subsidy utilisation.
• Promote financial inclusion through simple wallet-based transactions.

Significance

• Demonstrates the potential of Digital Rupee (e?) beyond conventional payments for large-scale welfare delivery.
• Acts as a proof of concept/scalable model for other States and UTs.
• Strengthens Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and technology-driven, citizen-centric welfare delivery.

In News:

Parliament has passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, paving the way for the State’s official name to be changed from “Kerala” to “Keralam”, following a unanimous resolution of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

Key Provisions

• Constitutional changes: The Bill amends the First and Fourth Schedules of the Constitution and makes consequential changes to Articles 31A and 290A to reflect the new name.
• Linguistic basis: “Keralam” is the name traditionally used in Malayalam and is associated with the demand for a unified Malayalam-speaking State.
• Aikya Kerala Movement: The movement for a unified Malayalam-speaking region gained momentum in the 1920s.
• Formation of Kerala: The modern State was formed on 1 November 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, by integrating Malayalam-speaking regions. This is celebrated as Kerala Piravi Day.

Constitutional Procedure for Renaming a State

• Governed by Article 3, which empowers Parliament to alter the name, area or boundaries of existing States.
• President’s prior recommendation is required before introducing such a Bill.
• The President must refer the Bill to the concerned State Legislature for its views.
• State Legislature’s views are not binding on Parliament.
• Under Article 4, laws made under Article 3 are not treated as constitutional amendments under Article 368.
• Therefore, the Bill requires only a simple majority in Parliament.
• After Presidential assent, the name change takes effect and the First Schedule is altered.

Historical Context

• Ashoka’s Rock Edict II (257 BCE) mentions “Keralaputra”, traditionally associated with the region/Chera polity.
• Scholar Herman Gundert linked “Keralam” to Cheram/Cheralam, with cher interpreted as “to join” and alam as “land/region”.
• 1956: Linguistic reorganisation led to the creation of Kerala.

In News:

Parliament has passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, seeking a more uniform and predictable fiscal framework by restricting State levies on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands.

Key Provisions

• Union control: “Mineral-bearing lands” are explicitly brought under Union regulatory control.
• New Section 9D: States cannot impose tax, cess or other levies on mineral rights or mineral-bearing lands except as per conditions prescribed by the Centre.
• Past levies:Unpaid/unrecovered levies imposed before the amendment become invalid, while amounts already paid will not be refunded.
• Central rule-making: Amendment to Section 13 empowers the Centre to prescribe conditions/restrictions for future State levies.

Existing Constitutional Framework

• Entry 54, Union List: Parliament can regulate mines and mineral development when declared expedient in public interest.
• Entry 23, State List: State power over mines and mineral development, subject to Union legislation.
• Entry 50, State List: State taxation of mineral rights, subject to limitations imposed by Parliament.
• Entry 49, State List: Taxes on land, including mineral-bearing land.
• Royalty ≠ Tax: Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling held that royalty under the MMDR framework is not a tax, but a contractual payment for enjoying mineral rights.

Key Concern: Fiscal Federalism

The Bill follows the Supreme Court’s 2024 Mineral Area Development Authority v. Steel Authority of India judgment, which, by an 8:1 majority of a 9-judge Constitution Bench, upheld States’ competence to tax mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands. The Bill’s restrictions therefore raise questions concerning State fiscal autonomy, legislative competence and Centre-State relations.