The value of sports and fitness in one’s life cannot be overstated. Sporting activities foster teamwork, strategic and analytical thinking, leadership abilities, goal-setting, and risk-taking. A fit and healthy individual leads to a fit and powerful society and country.
Sports are critical to the general growth of our country. India has achieved steady growth in the realm of sports in recent years. This enormous potential must be displayed on a worldwide scale. It’s past time to motivate young people and provide them with world-class facilities and training. We must instill a strong sense of participation in athletics that allows players to reach their full potential. Only then will India be able to realize its aspiration of becoming a developed country. The Khelo India initiative was created to revitalize India’s sports culture at the grassroots level by creating a robust framework for all athletics performed in the country and establishing India as a popular sports nation.
The different categories under the Khelo India program are given below:
● Playfield Development
● Support to National/ Regional/ State/ Sports Academics
● Community Coaching Development
● State Level Khelo India Centres
● Physical education of school children
● Sports for women
● Annual Sports Competition
● Promotion of sports amongst people with disabilities
● Talent search and development
● Sports for Peace and Development
● Utilization and Creation/ Upgradation of Sports Infrastructure
● Promotion of rural and indigenous/ tribal games
The High-Powered Committee would grant annual financial assistance of INR 5 lakh per year for 8 years to talented athletes identified in important sports disciplines at various levels.
The Khelo India School Games, part of the Khelo India program, are taking place in New Delhi from the 31st of January to the 8th of February 2018. Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Shooting, Swimming, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wrestling are among the 16 disciplines in which under-17 competitors are invited to compete.
The Khelo India Program is a national yojana/scheme to promote sports development in India. It was first introduced in Delhi in 2018 by then-Sports Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. The goal of this program is to strengthen India’s sports culture.
The revamped ‘Khelo India’ program, which combines the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan’ (formerly known as the ‘Yuva Krida & Khel Abhiyan’), the ‘Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme,’ and the National Sports Talent Search System Programme,’ was approved by the Union Cabinet to mainstream sports as a tool for national development, economic development, community development, and individual development. The program promotes “Sports for Excellence” and “Sports for All.”
Khelo India’s objectives
● It will be a scheme run by the central government (Scheme implemented by the Central Government machinery and 100 percent funding by the Union Government).
● It is a Pan India Sports Scholarship scheme that covers 1000 of the most deserving and talented athletes from all sports disciplines every year.
● A scholarship of five lakh rupees will be awarded to selected athletes for eight years.
● It’s a one-of-a-kind concept, the first-ever blueprint for establishing a long-term growth pathway for athletes.
● The program aims to select and promote 20 universities around the country as centers of sporting excellence, allowing athletes to pursue both studies and sports.
● The most up-to-date, user-friendly technologies would be employed to promote sports. For example, a Geographic Information System (GIS) for finding sports infrastructure, a user-friendly website for indigenous sports, a National Sports Talent Search Portal, and sports training information dissemination via mobile apps.
● To ensure many entries for organized sports tournaments, the program encourages schools and institutions to put on high-quality programs.
● This initiative also aims to create an active populace that leads a healthy lifestyle. A National Physical Fitness Drive is being developed for this aim, in which youngsters aged 10 to 18 will be assessed for physical fitness. There will also be exercises arranged to help them maintain their physical conditioning.
● The goal is to positively impact the entire sports ecosystem, which includes the sports economy, competitive structure, talent identification, coaching, and infrastructure.
● The initiative aims to involve youth from disadvantaged and troubled areas in sporting activities, allowing them to be mainstreamed into the nation-building process and weaned away from disruptive behavior.
The program’s goal emphasizes the importance of sports & related services and infrastructure. Therefore, candidates might expect IAS questions focused on how important it is to the country’s social and economic prospects.
The Khelo India Scheme’s Impact
● Khelo India has built a comprehensive framework to develop a sporting culture by discovering and nurturing potential through annual competition platforms and infrastructure.
● Athletes in the U17 and U21 age groups have had the opportunity to demonstrate their athletic prowess at the national level through the yearly Khelo India Youth Games and University Games.
● The Hon’ble PM’s Khelo India MobileApp, which was introduced in 2019, analyzed the fitness characteristics of over 23 lakh school children, finding future sporting talent as early as the age of five.
● A unique program to encourage indigenous sports and athletes. Indigenous athletes are granted an Out-of-Pocket Allowance (OPA) and training facilities in high-end centers.
● Specific initiatives were implemented to encourage women to pursue careers in sports and increased assistance for diving in the form of financial grants and improved training facilities.
Khelo India Programme Eligibility
The following are the Khelo India program’s eligibility requirements:
● The under-17 category is open to candidates under the age of 17.
● The under-21 category is open to candidates under the age of 21.
Conclusion
The most energetic and vibrant part of the population is the youth. With around 65 percent of its population under 35, India is one of the world’s youngest countries. Youth aged 15 to 29 years old account for 27.5 percent of the population. Therefore, the existing Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA), Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS), and National Sports Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS) schemes were proposed to be dovetailed into a single scheme called “Khelo India: National Programme for Development of Sports” to promote mass participation in sports and achieve effective implementation.
