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Government of India
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports
Department of Sports
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †2714
TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026
Khelo India Policy - 2025
†2714. SHRI SURESH KUMAR KASHYAP:
Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to
state :
(a) the special provisions made under the Khelo India Polic-2025 for
sports infrastructure, coaches and talent identification for hilly
States like Himachal Pradesh and Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency;
(b) the number of district-level sports centres, sportspersons to be
identified and coaches to be trained in Himachal Pradesh during the
current year and the next three years; and
(c) whether there is any proposal to establish an altitude-training/
winter sports centre in Shimla region in preparations for the 2036
Olympics and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
[DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA]
(a) to (c) : The Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 aims at building a strong,
inclusive and performance-driven sports ecosystem in India. The
vision of the Niti is "Sports for Nation Building Harness the Power of
Sports for Nation's Holistic Development”. It includes provisions
aimed at strengthening grassroots sports infrastructure and
supporting early talent identification across the country, including
the hilly States like Himachal Pradesh and Shimla Lok Sabha
Constituency, with a focus on widening access to sporting
opportunities. The policy focuses on improved access to basic
Page 1 of 2training facilities, dedicated sports infrastructure, and competition
platforms for athletes from diverse sections of society, including
women, persons with disabilities, and economically weaker groups.
‘Sports’ being a State subject, the responsibility of development of
sports, including development of sports and infrastructure in the
hilly areas of the country, rests with the State / Union Territory
Governments. The Union Government supplements these efforts, in
alignment with the National Sports Policy, through its ongoing
schemes and programmes, which operates within defined guidelines
and reporting frameworks.
However, under the Khelo India Scheme, a total of 18 Khelo India
Centres (KICs) have been notified across 12 districts in Himachal
Pradesh where a total of 280 athletes are being trained by Past
Champion Athletes (PCAs). Specific district-wise targets for the
next three years are subject to the finalized revised scheme and
proposals received from the State Governments.
Further, under the “Creation and Up-gradation of Sports
Infrastructure” component of the Khelo India Scheme (KIS) and
National Sports Development Funds (NSDF), financial assistance is
provided for development of sports infrastructure across the
country. The details of the sports infrastructure projects approved
and their sanctioned cost, funds released and their physical and
financial progress, under the KIS and NSDF are available in public
domain on the dashboards of the Ministry at
https://mdsd.kheloindia.gov.in and http://www.nsdf.yas.gov.in/nsdf-
glance.html, respectively. ‘Sports’ being a State subject, the
responsibility of development of sports, including strengthening of
sports infrastructure, training academies and talent identification,
rests primarily with the State/Union Territory Governments. The
Union Government supplements their efforts by bridging critical
gaps. The schemes of this Ministry are demand-driven under which
financial assistance is considered for proposals received from
State/UT Governments and eligible entities based on clear criteria,
including the completeness of the proposal, its technical feasibility,
and the availability of funds.
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