Lok Sabha Question No. 1220 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-11
Subject: Sports Period in Schools
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: V. SATHYABAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1220 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 th  February, 2019

## Sports Period in Schools

## 1220. SHRIMATI V. SATHYABAMA:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government proposes to make one hour sports period compulsory in all the schools across the country; (b) if so, whether it is likely to be implemented in only Government schools; (c)  if  so,  whether  the  Government  has  made  the  survey  on  availability  of  Physical Training Teachers/Instructors in all the schools of the country before implementing this plan; and

- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a)  to  (d):  The  National  Curriculum  Framework,  2005  recommended  Health  and Physical education as a compulsory subject area upto secondary stage for all children. Age appropriate activities related to Health, Physical Education and Yoga are included in  the  syllabi  of  Health  and  Physical  Education  developed  by  National  Council  of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory  Education    (RTE)  Act,  2009, provides for (i) Access to a play ground for each school; (ii) A part time instructor for physical  education  in  upper  primary  school;  (iii)  Supply  of  play  material,  games  and sports  equipment,  as  per  requirement  of  the  schools.  Further,  Central  Board  of

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Secondary  Examination  (CBSE)  has  issued  a  circular  dated  21.03.2018  regarding mainstreaming Health and Physical Education in schools in which schools affiliated to CBSE  including  government  schools  have  been  advised  to  reserve  one  period everyday for Health and Physical Education for classes IX to XII. In  addition,  the  Central  Government  has  launched  an  integrated  scheme,  for school education named as Samagra Shiksha w.e.f 2018-19, under which there is a provision  for  encouragement  of  Sports,  Physical  activities,  Yoga,  arts  &  crafts,  cocurricular activities etc. For meeting the expenditure on procuring sports equipments for indoor and outdoor sports, Sports grants upto Rs.5,000/- for primary, upto Rs. 10,000/for  upper  primary  and  upto  Rs.25,000/-  for  secondary  and  senior  secondary  schools per year is provided. Further,  guidelines  dated  24.12.2018  have  been  issued  to  States  and  UTs to ensure proper utilization of sports grant. These guidelines include an indicative list of age appropriate sports equipments for government schools. Sport specific equipments may also be chosen by the schools, based on availability of infrastructure in the school including availability of playfield etc. States and UTs have been advised to encourage schools to include traditional/regional games of the respective State/Region. Schools have been advised to maintain the sports equipments and have them in a workable position. One responsible person/Physical Education Teacher (PET)/Teacher in charge in every school is to be given the responsibility to take care of the sports equipments and to maintain their stock position.

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