CURRENT AFFAIRS | 23 APRIL 2026
The Char Dham Yatra 2026 commenced on Wednesday, 22 April 2026 with the ceremonial opening of Kedarnath Dham portals amid Vedic rituals; Badrinath Dham opens Thursday. The four-shrine circuit — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath — lies in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, a Zone-5 seismic region per BIS 1893. Estimated pilgrim footfall in 2025 exceeded 40 lakh. The season reopens pending litigation on Mussoorie illegal construction (Uttarakhand HC) and re-focuses attention on the fate of the Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Act 2019.
Constitutional Framework — Freedom of Religion
- Article 25 — Freedom of conscience, free profession, practice and propagation of religion (subject to public order, morality, health).
- Article 26 — Right of religious denominations to manage own affairs, acquire property, administer in accordance with law.
- Article 27 — No taxes for promotion of any particular religion.
- Article 28 — Religious instruction in state-funded institutions regulated.
- Articles 29-30 — Cultural and educational rights of minorities.
- Essential Religious Practices (ERP) doctrine — Originates in Shirur Mutt (1954); revisited in Sabarimala (2018), Hijab case (2022), Sabarimala review (9-judge bench pending).
CLAT Angle: Religion + Environment Crossover
Expect a Legal Reasoning passage on Art 26 v state regulation — applied to the scrapped Uttarakhand Devasthanam Act, which centralised 51 temples under a state board and was withdrawn in 2021 after priests’ agitation. Also testable: essential religious practices doctrine, Char Dham Highway environmental litigation.
Key Facts & Cases
| Item | Significance |
|---|---|
| Adi Shankaracharya (8th century) | Established Char Dham circuit uniting Indian sub-continent |
| Shirur Mutt (1954) | ERP doctrine — state cannot interfere with religious essentials |
| Sabarimala (2018) | Women aged 10-50 allowed entry; review pending before 9-judge bench |
| Char Dham Highway Project | SC-appointed High-Powered Committee monitors eco-compliance |
| Uttarakhand Devasthanam Act 2019 | Scrapped 2021 after priests’ agitation |
| Swadesh Darshan 2.0 | Ministry of Tourism’s destination-led scheme |
Mnemonic: “YGKB” — Char Dham Order
Yamunotri → Gangotri → Kedarnath → Badrinath (traditional clockwise order).
Religion rights = Art 25-28; cultural rights = Art 29-30. ERP = Shirur Mutt 1954.
Practice Quiz — Test Your Mastery
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
