Lok Sabha Question No. 2727 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-02
Subject: Award to Medal Winners at International Events
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, P.R. SUNDARAM

## MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2727 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2018

Award to Medal Winners at International Events

## 2727. SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government has introduced any scheme for giving special award to the medal winners in international sports events and their coaches;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the details of awards given during the last three years and the current year;
- (c) whether there is any scheme to support the sportspersons after their retirement from active sports;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  formulate  a  policy  to honour  athletes/  sportspersons  winning  medals  in  international events?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS [COL. RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)]

- (a) :   Yes  madam.  Under  the  scheme  of  'Special  Awards  to  Medal Winners in International Sports Events and their Coaches', special (cash)  awards  are  given  to  sportspersons  and  their  coaches  for winning medals in recognized international sports events.
- (b) :   The scheme of 'Special Awards to Medal Winners in International  Sports  Events  and  their  Coaches'  was  introduced  in the year 1986 to encourage and motivate outstanding sportspersons for  higher  achievements  and  to  attract  the  younger  generation  to take up sports as a career.

The Ministry has revised the Scheme on 29.01.2015, in which amount  of  cash  award  to  medal  winning  sportspersons  has  been substantially enhanced and the discriminatory clause of the scheme under  which  medal  winners  in  closed  events  like  Para-Olympics, Special  Olympics,  Championships  for  handicapped,  Deaf,  Dumb, Blind etc. was done away with and these events were included in the revised scheme.

As per further revision of scheme on 30.05.2018, the amount of cash  award  payable  to  coaches  of  medal  winners  in  individual events  is  to  be  distributed  among  the  following  categories  of coaches in the ratio mentioned against each:

- (i) Coach at grass root level who initially spotted the talent and groomed : 30% of the amount payable to the coaches;
- (ii)    Coach  at  the  developmental  level  who  further  groomed  and nurtured the medal winning sportspersons which would also include personal coach : 30% of the amount payable to the coaches;
- (iii)   Coach(es)  at  the  elite  level  who  have  been  part  of  the coaching camps or imparted training to the medal winner for at least 180 days in the preceding two year period before the event : 40% of the amount payable to coach(es)

The details of cash award which was released in the last 3 years and the current years are :

|   S. No. | Year    |   No. of Sportspersons/ coaches benefited | Amount (in Rs.)   |
|----------|---------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------|
|        1 | 2015-16 |                                       605 | 11,01,40,000/-    |
|        2 | 2016-17 |                                       854 | 20,95,82,321/-    |
|        3 | 2017-18 |                                       489 | 11,60,12,500/-    |

| 4.   | 2018-19   | 307   | 24,86,20,000/-   |
|------|-----------|-------|------------------|

- (c)  and  (d)  :    Yes  Madam.  Under  the  Scheme  of  'Pension  to Meritorious Sportspersons', sportspersons who have won medals for the country in the international competitions only as prescribed in the aforesaid Scheme and have retired from active sports, are given lifelong pension. At present, 588 sportspersons are getting pension.

## The present rates of pension are as follows :

|   S. No. | Category of meritorious sportspersons                                                       | Rate of Pension (Rs. per month)   |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|        1 | Medallists at the Olympic Games / Para Olympic Games                                        | 20,000                            |
|        2 | Gold medallists at the World Cup/World Championship* in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines | 16,000                            |
|        3 | Silver and Bronze medallists at the World Cup in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines        | 14,000                            |
|        4 | Gold medallists of the Asian/Commonwealth Games/Para Asian Games                            | 14,000                            |
|        5 | Silver and Bronze medallists of the Asian/Commonwealth Games/ Para Asian Games              | 12,000                            |

- (e) : Two schemes viz. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards are  already  being  implemented  by  the  Ministry  of  Youth  Affairs  & Sports. These schemes aim at honouring the sportsperson for their outstanding sports achievements in international sports events.

*****