Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved an expanded Khelo India Scheme along with enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations, with a combined outlay of ₹36,441 crore for the period 2026-27 to 2030-31, in what the government has described as the country’s most ambitious sports development programme since independence.
The approved outlay is nearly eight times that of the previous Khelo India Scheme, reflecting what officials called the government’s commitment to making sports a cornerstone of youth development, nation building and India’s emergence as a global sporting powerhouse. The revamped scheme is designed to create a seamless pathway for every talented young Indian, from school playgrounds and village sports fields all the way to the Olympic podium, with officials emphasising that no sporting talent should go undiscovered because of geography, economic background or lack of opportunity.
Aligned with the vision of Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 and the National Education Policy 2020, the scheme integrates sports with education, fitness, technology and high performance training, laying what the government described as a strong foundation for India’s long term sporting ambitions, including preparations for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the country’s bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the coming years.
The scheme establishes an integrated nationwide ecosystem comprising National Centres of Excellence, Khelo India Centres of Excellence, SAI Training Centres, Khelo India Accredited Academies, Khelo India Centres and Youth Sports Companies of the Armed Forces, together intended to provide world class coaching, sports science support and modern infrastructure across the country. Two new school level initiatives, Khelo India Feeder Schools and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas, have also been introduced to integrate sports with mainstream education from an early stage.
A major reform under the scheme is the creation of the Emerging Khelo India Athletes category alongside the existing Khelo India Athletes programme, expanding the structured athlete development ecosystem by nearly ten times. The scheme also establishes a clear progression pathway from grassroots competitions through Khelo India to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, alongside a new National Coach Accreditation Board and a unified digital sports platform intended to bring data driven planning and transparent governance to India’s sporting establishment.
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