Khelo India Scheme is an initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports that aims to encourage sports all over the country. The motive of the scheme is to harness the development of youth and promote gender equality, healthy lifestyle, community development, social integration, national pride and economic opportunities through sports. The scheme also aims at filling up the critical gaps in sports infrastructure by creating sports excellence hubs, talent identification and development of sports academics. This initiative will not only bring out India’s talent, but also promote fitness among youth.
Khelo India Scheme, a consolidated version of ‘Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan’, the ‘Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme’ & ‘National Sports Talent Search System Programme’ was launched in 2018 under the then Union Sports Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
Khelo India School Games were held in New Delhi with the purpose of improving sports culture in India & promoting ‘Sports for Excellence’ as well as ‘Sports for All’.
Objectives
- Reviving sports culture in India
- Identifying sports talent
- Creating sports infrastructure
- Organizing various National level competitions to nurture young talent
- Providing financial support
- To build a healthy and active nation
- Emphasize on the significance of holistic development
- Make India a sporting powerhouse
- Draw the youth away from drug addiction and gadget addiction
Khelo India Revised Version
The revised version of Khelo India Scheme comprises the following components:
- Creation and upgradation of sports infrastructure
- Sports competitions & talent development
- Khelo India centers and sports academy
- Fit India movement
- Promotion of inclusiveness through sports
The emphasis of the Department of Sports is on ‘One State One Sports’. 14 disciplines have been identified to create excellence. The discipline include:
- Archery
- Boxing
- Shooting
- Badminton
- Wrestling
- Hockey
- Weightlifting
- Cycling
- Athletics
- Table tennis
- Judo
- Swimming
- Fencing
- Rowing
The scheme also has a Sports Competition & Talent Development component which has three sub-categories:
- Sports competitions –
- Khelo India Youth Games
- Khelo India University Games
- Khelo India Winter Games
- Talent identification and development
- Community coaching development
Other Important Khelo India Initiatives
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India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) programme
Union minister of youth of sports, inaugurated the unique Khelo India Rising Talent Identification Programme focusing on children between 9 and 18 years to hunt for talented youth and use it as a tool to curb addiction towards drugs & gadgets.
The motive of this program is to promote the sports culture and nurture talent that has the potential to win medals for India at larger forums such as the Olympics and Asian games. The larger aim of this programme however, is to become a Top 10 Sports Nation in the World’ by 2036 and list among the Top 5 by 2047.
Talent is being identified under ten Sports disciplines including athletics, boxing, wrestling, hockey & football.
How to apply?
Any child whose winning to apply under the KIRTI programme must register through the ‘MyBharat portal’ and the owners of coming to and providing an opportunity through KIRTI will be on the government.
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Khelo India Scholarship Scheme 2024
The Sports Authority of India(SAI) has set aside a fund of ₹30.83 crore for providing scholarships to athletes all across the country for fiscal year 2023-24. In the fourth quarter, 2571 Khelo India athletes will receive an Out-of-Pocket Allowance(OPA) of ₹7,71,30,000 with each athlete getting an out-of-pocket budget of ₹1,20,000 annually, with an extra ₹5 lakh for training for competition per athlete.
The objective of this game is to foster a strong sense of participation and harness the athletes’ full potential. This funding immensely affects the athletes performance and helps in green sports culture and the grassroots level
Eligibility
An athlete who wishes to apply for the Khelo India scholarship scheme,
- Must be a citizen of India
- Must be a residential athlete at the Khelo India academy
- Para athletes are also eligible
Documents Required
An athlete willing to apply for this scheme must withhold the following documents:
- Applicants Aadhar card
- Passport size photograph
- PAN card
- Account number
- Mobile number
- Address proof
Online Application
- Visit with Khelo India official website
- On the home screen click on the apply here option
- Enter the required details
- Upload the necessary documents
- Click on the submit option
- Save the application for later use
Budget 2024 Highlights: ₹ 900 crore allocated for KHELO India
In the interim budget, ₹900 crore was allocated to the ambitious Khelo India Programme.
In the budget of 2017-18, the budget allocated to the Sports Ministry was ₹350 crores which was increased to ₹520.09 crore in 2018-19.
In the fiscal year 2023-24, the ministry of youth and sports received a total allocation of ₹3397.32 crore wherein ₹1000 crore was assigned specifically to Khelo India projects. The aim of the 2023 budget was to build a Yuva Leadership Portal to engage the youth in various activities to improve their leadership skills.
New Additions to Khelo India Games
- Youth Games in the South – Tamilnadu hosted the first ever Youth Games in south
- University Games in the Northeast – the first ever University games were held in the North East spanning across seven North eastern states with Assam hosting 16 Sports.
- Focus on Indigenous Sports – Local Sports like Yogasana, Gatka, Mallakhamb, Silambam, and Kalaripayattu were added and there was an overwhelming participation.
- Winter Games in Ladakh – Khelo India Winter Games were hosted in Ladakh for the first time featuring ice hockey and ice skating as major attractions.
Achievements of Khelo India Mission
- Increased Medal count
- Great International Success
- Balanced Participation