Lok Sabha Question No. 2635 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-01
Subject: Sports at School Level
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: OM BIRLA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS (DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2635

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.12.2016

## Sports at School Level

## 2635. SHRI OM BIRLA:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government proposes to take initiatives to identify and nurture sporting talents at primary and  secondary  level of school education in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to introduce sports as a compulsory subject in school curriculum and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  the  other  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve participation of girl child in the sports and games at school level?

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

## ANSWER FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS (SHRI VIJAY GOEL)

- (a)  to (d) A  Scheme  called  'Khelo  India  -  National  Programme  for Development of Sports' is being implemented by this Ministry as a Central Sector  Scheme  from  the  current  financial  year  2016-17.  The  Scheme, inter-alia,  provides for holding of annual sports competitions in two age groups of   (i) under 14 and (ii) under 17 all over India to encourage mass participation of both boys and girls in Sports in both urban and rural areas including  schools  and  identification  of  talented  sportspersons.  Such identified  talented  players  will  be  nominated  for  trials  for  induction  in various sports promotional schemes of the SAI, or State Sports Academies, whenever feasible and if the identified players so desire. In addition, Ministry through Sports Authority of India (SAI) is implementing following  Sports  Promotional  Schemes  in  the  country  where  the  entire population including girls  from  village  and  rural  area  are  encouraged to participate and get training in various sports:
1. National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC)
2. Special Area Games (SAG)
3. SAI Training Centres (STC)
- 4.
- Centre of Excellence (CoE)
- 5.
- SAI National Academies

There are four Sports Training Centre exclusively for women at STC Badal  (Punjab),  STC  Dharamshala  (Himachal  Pradesh),  STC  Medikeri (Karnataka) and SAG Tellicherry (Kerala).

School  curriculum  is  decided  by  respective  School  Boards  under State  Governments  and  Central  Board  of  Secondary  Education  (CBSE) under  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  (HRD).  However,  the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, has been enacted, making elementary education a Fundamental Right, which, inter alia, provides for

- (i) A playground for each school;
- (ii) A part time instructor for physical education in upper primary schools;
- (iii) Supply  of  play  material,  games  and  sports  equipment,  as required, to schools.

In  terms  of  the  provisions  of  the  RTE  Act,  no  school  shall  be established  or  recognized  unless  it  fulfills  the  norms  specified  in  the Schedule attached to the Act.

Ministry of Human Resource Development has, inter-alia, intimated that as per the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005, Health and Physical Education, which includes sports, is a compulsory subject from classes  I  to  X  and  an  optional  subject  at  the  higher  secondary  stage. However, education is a subject in the Concurrent List and most of the schools are under the purview of the State/ Union Territory Government.

*****