UP govt’s big tourism push: Ayodhya temple museum expansion, international yoga centre get Cabinet nod

“Earlier, 25 acres was given for constructing the temple museum in Ayodhya but the Tata group… said it would fall short for the project. Thus, the new lease document has been signed as per which about 52 acres of land would be provided…,” informed Cabinet Minister Suresh Khanna.

He added that Tata Sons has proposed to develop and operate the state-of-the-art museum using its CSR funds, and a Section 8 (non-profit) company will be established under the Companies Act, 2013, with representation from the Government of India and the UP government. An MoU for land allocation was signed on September 3, 2024, between the Centre, UP government, and Tata Sons.

“The museum… will be… truly unique… featuring heritage-inspired architecture, a rich library, and several modern facilities. Its Dravidian-style architecture will offer a special experience for tourists, while providing students with access to diverse knowledge resources. For this project, TATA will form a dedicated team from across the world to ensure international-level expertise and quality,” said Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture, Amrit Abhijat.

Officials said that with Ayodhya already witnessing a sharp rise in domestic and international footfall, the museum is expected to further attract tourists.

UP Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh said the initiatives reinforce the government’s vision of positioning Ayodhya as a global centre of culture, spirituality and heritage. He added that improved administrative systems and the new tourism infrastructure will strengthen service delivery and enhance overall visitor experience.

New recruitment rules

The Cabinet also approved the “Uttar Pradesh Adheenasth Paryatan Seva Niyamawali 2025” to streamline tourism administration across the state. The rules define qualifications and roles for key posts, including Publication Officers, District or Deputy Tourism Officers and Tourism Information Officers.

An official explained that it aims to bring more clarity and professionalism in the recruitment of officials in the Tourism sector. “Earlier, subordinate tourism posts were governed by various existing rules, departmental orders and instructions issued over the years. There was no single unified rulebook for the posts of Publication Officer, Assistant District Tourism Officer, and Tourism Information Officer. The newly notified 2025 Rules now replaces all those scattered instructions, providing one updated, comprehensive and structured framework for these posts.”

As per the new Rules 2025, posts in the subordinate tourism service cadre will now be filled through both direct recruitment and promotion:

-The post of Publication Officer will be filled through direct recruitment conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission.

-The post of Tourism Information Officer will be filled through direct recruitment conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission.

-The post of Assistant District Tourism Officer (at par with Zila Paryatan Adhikari) will be filled through both direct recruitment and promotion.

Further, the new rules bring clarity to educational qualifications for key posts. Tourism Information Officers will now be required to hold a graduate degree in mass communication, whereas the eligibility for Assistant District Tourism Officer now mandates a graduate degree in tourism or hospitality, strengthening domain expertise in field-level tourism management.

Yoga centre

Another significant decision approved by the Cabinet includes establishing an “International Yoga and Wellness Centre” on 70 hectares of land in Hariya Kheda village of Baghpat district. Officials said the centre can attract both domestic and foreign visitors; considering its proximity to the NCR, it would provide strategic access for tourists, corporates, students and wellness practitioners seeking short- or long-term programmes.

While the proposed centre will integrate yoga, meditation, naturopathy and well-being science, the project will be operated through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Other decisions

Apart from these, the Cabinet approved a proposal to streamline the process of providing permission to award-winning sportspersons in government jobs for participating in international sports and training. So far, they had to apply for leave to participate in these events as there were no rules for this.

“Earlier, under the ‘International Medal Winner Direct Recruitment Rules-2022’, there was no clarity on leave for such sportsmen, recruited by the state government, for participating in events and training camps. The newly introduced system would ensure that for every appointed athlete, the duration of their participation in competitions or training programmes will be officially considered ‘duty’, including travel days,” said Minister Khanna.

The Cabinet also approved establishment of new District Disability Rehabilitation Centres in all 18 divisions of UP.