Lok Sabha Question No. 240 (STARRED), answered on 2018-08-02
Subject: Engaging Sporting Talent
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH

## MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. †*240 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2018

Engaging Sporting Talent

†*240. SHRIMATI DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH:

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

- (a)  the  details  of  the  schemes  to  engage  sports  talent  from  the  school level and ensure winning of more number of medals for the country;
- (b) whether there is any plan to make sports a part of school curriculum to attract more students towards sports; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS {COL. RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (RETD.)}

- (a) to (c) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  †*240  FOR  02.08.2018  ASKED  BY SHRIMATI  DARSHANA  VIKRAM  JARDOSH,  MP,  REGARDING  ENGAGING SPORTING TALENT

- (a) This  Ministry  is  implementing  a  Central  Sector  Scheme,  namely Khelo India which has twelve verticals. While all the verticals  of  Khelo India Scheme cater to the entire population including sports talent from the  school  level,  the  scheme  has  a  dedicated  vertical  'Annual  Sports Competitions'  under  which  annual  Khelo  India  School  Games  are  being conducted to provide basic platform for talents from the school level to showcase  sporting  skills  and  accordingly  become  a  platform  for  talent spotting  at  the  national  level  and  providing  development  pathways  for gifted and talented children to achieve excellence.

The  Khelo  India  vertical  'Talent  Identification  and  Development' provides for financial assistance to identified talented players at various levels through different avenues and annual financial assistance, at the rate of Rs.5.00 lakh per annum, for a period of 8 years under a Long Term Athlete Development Programme is provided. The salient features of the verticals are given at Annexure-I.

In  addition,  the  Sports  Authority  of  India  (SAI)  is  implementing various Sports Promotional Schemes to identify talented sports persons in the age group of 8-25 years and nurture them to excel at national and international  competitions.  Many  of  the  sports  persons  identified  under SAI  Sports  Promotional  Schemes  are  /  were  talents  from  the  school levels. The details of SAI Schemes are given at Annexure - II.

- (b) & (c) National Curriculum Framework  (NCF), 2005 is a policy document for the whole country. As per NCF, 2005,  Health and Physical Education, which also includes sports, has been a compulsory subject up to secondary stage (from classes I-X) of school education and an optional Subject  at  the  senior  secondary  stage  (classes  XI-XII).  The  NCF  also focuses on participation of all children in free play, formal and informal games,  yoga  and  sports  activities  as  essential  for  their  physical  and psycho-social  development.  Whereas  all  students  must  be  involved  in

Health  &  Physical  Education  activities,  those  who  choose  to  excel  in games and sports need to be provided adequate opportunities. NCF also focuses on the possibility to organize the utilization of school space at the  block  level  for  special  sports  programme  both  before  school  hours and after school hours to enable children with special talent for sports to come there for special training during vacation periods.

Based on the NCF 2005, NCERT has developed the detailed syllabus on Health and Physical Education.

As a follow-up of NCF & syllabi, the following materials have been developed.

-  Health  &  Physical  Education  -  A  Teachers'  Guide  for Class VI.
-  Health  and  Physical  Education  -  A  Teachers'  Guide  for Class VII.
-  Health and Physical Education - Textbook for Class IX
-  Yoga: A Healthy Way of Living (For Upper Primary Stage)
-  Yoga: A Healthy Way of Living (For Secondary Stage)

This  Ministry  has  also  sent  a  proposal  to  Ministry  of  Human Resource  &  Development  (MHRD),  being  the  nodal  Ministry  in  such matters,  regarding  'Integration  of  Physical  Education  and  Sports'  in School Curriculum framework.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  †*240  FOR  02.08.2018  ASKED  BY  SHRIMATI DARSHANA  VIKRAM  JARDOSH,  MP,  REGARDING  ENGAGING  SPORTING TALENT

## Annexure - I

## Salient features of Khelo India vertical 'Annual Sports Competitions'

Khelo  India  will  be  the  basic  platform  to  showcase  sporting  skills  and  accordingly become a platform for talent spotting at the national level and providing development pathways for gifted and talented children to achieve excellence. The Central Government will organize the following National level competitions, i.e., Khelo India National School Games and Khelo India National University Games, in respect of priority sports disciplines at various places across the country  by  associating  concerned  National  Sports  Federations  (NSFs)  and  School  Game Federation  of  India  (SGFI)  and  University  Sports  promotion  bodies  including  Association  of Indian Universities (AIU).

## Salient features of Khelo India vertical 'Talent Identification and Development'

The  National  competitions  involving  schools,  colleges,  Universities  and  NSFs  under Khelo India Scheme, National Championships, and National Sports Talent Search Portal of SAI, will provide a platform for identification of talented sports persons in priority Sports disciplines in which the country has potential/advantage. In addition to selection of prize winners, the duly constituted talent identification committee may also adopt globally accepted scientific methods to  spot  and  identify  talent  in  various  sports  disciplines.    Identification  of  sporting  talent  will involve conduct of pan-India trials of children by Talent Scouts (to be engaged for the purpose), in association with States/UTs.

Out  of  the  talented  players  identified  in  priority  sports  disciplines  at  various  levels through different avenues, best talents in those sports discipline will be identified by the High Powered  Committee  and  provided  annual  financial  assistance,  at  the  rate  of  Rs.5.00  lakh  per annum,  for  a  period  of  8  years  under  a  Long  Term  Athlete  Development  Programme. Continuation of support to an individual athlete will be subject to his/her progress/performance in  the  identified  sports  discipline  concerned,  ensuring  the  best  performers,  having  potential  to excel at the highest level, are given continuous support and non-performers/ non achievers can be taken out of the system. This will ensure a sizable bench strength that the country is lacking at present.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  †*240  FOR  02.08.2018  ASKED  BY  SHRIMATI DARSHANA  VIKRAM  JARDOSH,  MP,  REGARDING  ENGAGING  SPORTING TALENT

Annexure - II

Sports Promotional Schemes of SAI are given as under :

-  National  Sports  Talent  Contest  Scheme  (NSTC) : National  Sports  Talent  Contest,  (NSTC) Scheme is being implemented to scout sports talent in the age group of 8-14 years from schools and nurture them into future medal hopes by providing scientific training.
- a. Indigenous  Games  &  Martial  Arts  (Sub-Scheme  of  NSTC)  : This  scheme  aims  to promote indigenous games & martial arts in the schools in rural and semi-urban areas and scouting of talent in these games for nurturing in modern sports.
- b. Adoption of Akharas under NSTC Scheme : Wrestling has been a traditional indigenous sport in the country and mostly played at village level. In order to create a broader base for modern wrestling, Akharas are being adopted under this Scheme.
-  Army Boys Sports Company (ABSC) : This is a collaborative venture of SAI with the Indian Army,  The  main  objective  of  the  Scheme  is  to  make  use  of  the  good  infrastructure  and disciplined environment of the Army for training boys in the age group of 8-14 years of age, to achieve excellence in sports. After attaining the required age of seventeen and a half years, the trainees are also offered placement in the Army.
-  SAI Training Centre (STC) : In order to groom the junior level sports persons in the age group of 12-18 years,  SAI  Training  Centres  (STC)  are  established  in  a  State  where  the  sports infrastructure is provided by the respective State Governments.
-  Special  Area  Games  (SAG)  : Special  Area  Games  (SAG)  Scheme  aims  at  scouting  natural talent for modern competitive sports and games from inaccessible tribal, rural and coastal areas of the country and nurturing them scientifically for achieving excellence in sports. Trainees in the age group of 10-18 years are selected in this scheme.
-  Extension  Centre  of  STC/SAG  : The  extension  centres  of  STC/SAG  centres  Scheme  was started to cover schools and colleges for wider coverage, with a view to develop sports standards in schools and colleges having requisite basic sports infrastructure and had shown good results in sports.  Trainees  in  the  age  group  of 10-18 years  are  selected  under  Non-Residential  basis  for regular training.
-  Centre  of  Excellence  (COE) :  The  scheme  envisaged  induction  of  sportspersons,  who  had performed  well  at  Sr.  National  Competitions,  for  further  advance  scientific  training  at  the Regional Centres of SAI. These Centres of Excellence operate as regular coaching camps for the best available talent in India in the respective sports discipline in the age group of 12-25 years .
-  National Sports Academies (NSA) :  The  National  Sports  Academies  (NSA)  Scheme aims to promote sports on single discipline basis in collaboration with the National Sports Federations to attract sports talent in the respective sports discipline in the age group of 12-25 years .

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