Khelo Bharat Niti 2025

• Context (PIB | TH): The Union Cabinet approved the National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025, officially announced as “Khelo Bharat Niti 2025”, marking a bold and comprehensive overhaul of India’s sports governance framework.

Key Highlights of NSP 2025

• Excellence on the Global Stage: Establish structured talent pathways, modern infrastructure, and science-backed training through strengthening of National Sports Federations & competitive leagues.
• Sports for Economic Development: Drive economic growth through sports tourism, manufacturing, startups, PPPs, and CSR investments.
• Sports for Social Development: Promote social inclusion, revive traditional sports, and link sports to careers and community engagement.
• Sports as a People’s Movement: Foster a national fitness culture with campaigns, fitness indices, and open access to sports facilities.
• Integration with NEP 2020: Integrate sports into education through curricula, trained educators, and school-based talent development.

Strategic Framework for Implementation

• Governance: Establishment of regulatory & legal framework to ensure transparency & accountability.
• Private Sector Collaboration: Engaging corporate stakeholders through CSR and PPP mechanisms.
• Technology Adoption: Use of AI, data analytics, and emerging technologies in athlete performance tracking and program delivery.
• Monitoring: Creation of National Monitoring Framework with KPIs & time-bound milestones.
• State-Level Alignment: NSP 2025 serves as a model policy for States/UTs to draft their own policies.
• Whole-of-Government Approach: Integration of sports objectives into various Ministries’ and Departments’ schemes.

India’s Sports Policy Journey

Post-Independence Priorities (1947–1980s)

• National focus was on poverty, health, and education, with limited sports investment despite milestones like the 1951 Asian Games and establishment of All-India Council of Sports (AICS) in 1954.
• Budget constraints hindered global success, though hockey excelled & icons like Milkha Singh emerged.

1982 Asian Games

• The 1982 Asiad highlighted the need for structured sports governance. It led to creation of the Department of Sports under the HRD Ministry.
• Resulted in India’s first National Sports Policy (1984).

Post-1991 Liberalisation

• Economic reforms and media exposure sparked public interest in sports and cultural shift.
• The 1997 Draft National Sports Policy was proposed but never implemented, leaving a policy gap.

Post-2000

• Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was established in 2000; the National Sports Policy 2001 emphasized mass participation and elite performance.

• Significant initiatives included:
  • NSDC 2011: For regulating and professionalising National Sports Federations (NSFs) addressing governance, anti-doping, gender parity, and more.
  • TOPS 2014: Target Olympic Podium Scheme to support elite athletes.
  • Khelo India 2017: Nationwide youth talent identification and sports development program.
  • Fit India Movement 2019: Fitness as a national priority.

• In 2024, government released Drafts of the National Sports Policy and National Sports Governance Bill.
• India’s 2036 Olympic bid revived strategic focus, prompting new policy and governance reforms.