While highlighting the key features of “Khelo India initiative”, discuss its relevance towards changing the sporting culture and infrastructure in India

The Khelo India Programme was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Sports and Youth affairs to revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level. Its objective is to build a strong framework for all kinds of sports played in the country and establish India as a great sporting nation.

Features

• The program will cover 1,000 most talented young athletes each year across select sports disciplines. Each athlete selected under the scheme will receive an annual scholarship worth Rs.5.00 lakh for 8 consecutive years.
• 20 universities across India will be promoted as hubs of sporting excellence, which will enable talented sportspersons to pursue dual pathways of education and competitive sports. It also aims at creating an active population with a healthy lifestyle.
• It will cover about 200 million children in the age group of 10-18. It will not only measure the physical fitness of all children in the age group but also support their fitness-related activities.

Changing the culture

• The initiative will promote Sports for All as well as Sports for Excellence and create an active population with a healthy lifestyle.
• The process of individual development, community development, economic development, and national development will be encouraged by bringing mainstream sport as a tool.
• It will benefit the entire sports ecosystem that includes infrastructure, community sports, talent identification, coaching for excellence, competition structure, and sports economy.
• It will engage youths in disturbed and deprived areas, in sporting activities, and also keep them away from unproductive and disruptive activities and induct them in nation-building processes.

Way forward

Khelo India program is looking forward to introducing the efforts of every interested stakeholder whether private or public, national or international; whoever is passionate about the sporting culture of India.