THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)
FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)
(a) Sports and games have always been seen as an integral component in the all-round development of the human personality. Apart from being a means of entertainment and physical fitness, sports have played a great role in generation of the spirit of healthy
competition, team spirit, sense of discipline and bonding within the community. Needless to mention that achievements in sports at the international level have always been a source of national pride and prestige.
Schemes of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India are aimed at promoting sports in the country by way of broad-basing of sports and achieving excellence in sports.
(b) India has the largest youth population in the world that is poised to increase further in the coming decade. 70% India’s population is below the age of 35 years. The demographic dividend offers a great opportunity for the country to develop into a power house of sports in the world.
(c) India has a large population but its achievements in international sports are not commensurate with its potential. There is immense potential in developing India into a spots powerhouse. Not so impressive performance of India in international sports events can be attributed to lack of bench strength, lack of sports culture, non-availability of basic sports infrastructure at grassroots level, lack of job opportunities etc. However, there has been perceptible improvement in the performance of Indian sportspersons in international sports events including mega sports events such as Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and South Asian Games recently.
(d) The Ministry does not maintain data about the funds spent by the States on sports. As far as the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India is concerned, Rs. 1020.94 crore (Plan and Non-Plan) were spent during 2015-16. Taking into account population of India 1,210,854,977 as per Census 2011, then per capita per day
expenditure on sports by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports works out Rs. 0.0231.
(e) Coaching/training alongwith state-of-art equipment is being provided to sportspersons under Sports Authority of India (SAI)’s various Sports Promotional Schemes such as National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC) Scheme, Army Boys Sports Company (ABSC) Scheme, SAI Training Centres (STC) Scheme, Special Area Games (SAG) Scheme and Centres of Excellence (COE) Scheme. Further, assistance is being provided to National Sports Federations (NSFs) from the Ministry’s Scheme of Assistance to NSFs for participation of Indian sportspersons and teams in international sports events, organizing coaching camps preparatory to participation in international sports events, procurement of sports equipmments, conduct of national championships and international tournaments in India.
Further, a programme, namely TOP (Target Olympic Podium) Scheme has been formulated in March 2015 within the overall ambit of National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) with the objective of identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. The selected athletes are being provided financial assistance for their customized training at Institutes having world class facilities and other necessary support. ***
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