State PCS - Chhattisgarh (CGPSC)

• 05 Jun 2025

Chhattisgarh Homestay Policy 2025-30

Why in News? 

The Chhattisgarh government approved the ‘Chhattisgarh Homestay Policy 2025-30’ to promote tourism in rural and tribal-dominated areas, including the Maoism-affected Bastar division. 

Key Points 

• About the Policy:  
  • The policy was approved amid ongoing anti-Naxal operations in the Bastar region, a tribal-dominated and Maoism-affected area. 
  • The policy focuses on Bastar and Sarguja, the two major tribal-dominated regions of Chhattisgarh known for their natural landscapes and biodiversity. 
    • The tribal communities of Bastar are mainly Gond, Maria, Muria, Bhadra, Halba and Dhurua. 
    • Sarguja is home to tribes like Gond, Bhumij, Oraon, Panika, Korwa, Bhuiya, Kharwar, Munda, Chero, and others. 
• Purpose and Cultural Promotion: 
  • Homestays will offer visitors an immersive rural life experience, showcasing tribal culture, local art and handicrafts, and unique regional features. 
• Socio-Economic Benefits for Locals: 
  • The policy aims to generate income opportunities for local residents by enabling them to run homestays. 
  • It supports the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative and is expected to strengthen rural tourism and local entrepreneurship.

Maoism  

• About: Maoism is a form of communism developed by Mao Tse Tung. It is a doctrine to capture State power through a combination of armed insurgency, mass mobilization and strategic alliances.  
  • Mao called this process, the ‘Protracted People's War’, where the emphasis is on ‘military line’ to capture power.  
• Maoist Ideology: The central theme of Maoist ideology is the use of violence and armed insurrection as a means to capture State power.   
  • ‘Bearing of arms is non-negotiable’ as per the Maoist insurgency doctrine.   
• Indian Maoists: The largest and the most violent Maoist formation in India is the Communist Party of India (Maoist) formed in 2004.  
  • The CPI (Maoist) and its front organizations were banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.  
    • Front Organizations are the off-shoots of the parent Maoist party, which professes a separate existence to escape legal liability. 

Vocal for Local Initiative 

• NITI Aayog launched the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative under its Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP). 
• The initiative aims to foster self-reliance among citizens and promote sustainable development and inclusive prosperity. 
• As part of this initiative, local products from 500 aspirational blocks have been identified and consolidated under a unified brand called Aakanksha. 
  • Aakanksha serves as an umbrella brand, which can be expanded into multiple sub-brands with the potential to tap into global markets. 
• To promote these local products, the government has launched a dedicated window for the Aspirational Blocks Programme under the Aakanksha brand on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal. 
• Support from Partner Organisation: 
  • Partner organisations will offer technical and operational assistance for: 
    • E-commerce onboarding 
    • Market linkage development 
    • Financial and digital literacy 
    • Documentation and certification 
    • Skill development and capacity enhancement