GS II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the new phase of the Khelo India Scheme (2026–31) with an outlay of ₹29,054 crore (overall sports outlay ₹36,441 crore) to strengthen grassroots sports and prepare India for the 2036 Olympic Games.
Background
- Olympic Performance: India secured its best-ever Olympic finish of 48th position with 7 medals at Tokyo 2021, followed by 71st position with 6 medals at Paris 2024.
- Long-Term Vision: The revamped Khelo India Scheme seeks to build a strong sporting ecosystem capable of improving India’s performance at the 2036 Olympics.
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Key Highlights of the Scheme
- Expansion of Sports Infrastructure: Increase Khelo India Centres, State & National Centres of Excellence, and Accredited Academies from about 1,000 centres to 2–3 centres per district.
- Talent Identification: Expand the athlete base from 2,904 Khelo India Athletes to nearly 28,000 athletes through the Emerging Khelo India Athletes initiative.
- Coach Development: Establish a National Coach Accreditation Board, upgrade grassroots coaching, and improve the utilisation of Physical Education Teachers.
- School Integration: Promote sports through Khelo India Feeder Schools and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalaya in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
- Sports Digitisation: Develop a digital athlete database and strengthen bottom-up communication for talent tracking and performance monitoring.
Significance
- Strengthens Grassroots Sports: Facilitates early talent identification and systematic athlete development.
- Improves Sports Infrastructure: Expands access to quality coaching, training facilities and sports academies.
- Enhances Human Resources: Standardises coaching quality through accreditation and capacity building.
- Supports Olympic Vision: Strengthens the talent pipeline alongside the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
Challenges
- Effective Implementation: Ensuring transparency, accountability and efficient utilisation of funds.
- Infrastructure Gaps: Need for world-class sports facilities across States.
- Shortage of Qualified Coaches: Limited availability of trained coaches at the grassroots level.
- Doping Concerns: India’s persistent doping challenge affects sporting credibility and international performance.
Way Forward
- Strengthen Grassroots Ecosystem: Expand sports infrastructure, coaching quality and competition opportunities at the district level.
- Promote Sports Culture: Integrate sports with education and strengthen the Fit India Movement.
- Enhance Anti-Doping Measures: Improve testing, awareness and enforcement to ensure clean sports.
- Focus on High-Performance Training: Strengthen athlete progression through TOPS and specialised coaching for international competitions.
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Conclusion
The revamped Khelo India Scheme provides a strong foundation for transforming India into a sporting nation. Its success, however, will depend on effective implementation, robust infrastructure, quality coaching, clean sports practices and sustained grassroots development to realise India’s 2036 Olympic aspirations.
5 Aug 2026
