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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS
(DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 1594
ANSWERED ON- 12/02/2026
KHELO INDIA SCHEME IN TAMIL NADU
1594. SHRI R. DHARMAR
Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state :-
(a) the features of Khelo India scheme;
(b) the details of funds sanctioned, allocated and utilized under this scheme in Tamil Nadu during the
last three years and the current year;
(c) the details of target set and achievements made, so far, along with its objectives and aim;
(d) whether Government is providing government jobs to Khelo India medal winner athletes and if
so, the details thereof;
(e) whether Government has launched KIRTI programme under this scheme across the country;
(f) if so, the details thereof; and
(g) the number of States being covered initially under this programme?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS
(DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)
(a) The Khelo India Scheme aims to infuse sports culture and achieve sporting excellence all over
the country thus allowing the population to harness the power of sports through its cross-cutting
influence, namely, holistic development of children & youth, community development, social
integration, gender equality, healthy lifestyle, national pride and economic opportunities related to
sports development.
The ‘Khelo India – National Programme for Development of Sports’ has the twin objectives of
mass participation and promotion of excellence in sports across the country. The Scheme has the
following 05 components:
i. Creation and Upgradation of Sports Infrastructure
ii. Sports Competitions and Talent Development
iii. Khelo India Centres and Sports Academies
Page 1 of 3iv. Fit India Movement
v. Promotion of Inclusiveness through Sports
(b) The funds are allocated and released Scheme-wise, not State-wise, in this Ministry. Details of
funds allocated and expenditure incurred under the Khelo India Scheme during the last three years
and the current year are as under:
(in ₹ crore)
S. No. Financial Year Funds allocated Expenditure incurred
1. 2022-23 600.00 596.39
2. 2023-24 880.00 872.20
3. 2024-25 746.54 620.75
4. 2025-26 700.00 628.91
(as on 15.01.2026)
(c) The Khelo India Scheme is a demand-driven scheme. The proposals received from the State/UT
Governments and other eligible entities are considered for financial support, subject to their
completeness, technical feasibility and availability of funds under the Scheme in line with the twin
objectives of mass participation and promotion of excellence in sports to infuse sports culture in the
country. The achievements made so far under the Khelo India Scheme are at Annexure-I.
(d) The information regarding placement of Khelo India medal winners, in government jobs across
the country, is not maintained in this Ministry.
(e) to (g) Yes. The pilot initiative Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) was launched on
12th March 2024. A total of 1,87,921 assessments have been done under KIRTI, across 174 Talent
Assessment Centres in 35 States/UTs of India.
Page 2 of 3ANNEXURE – I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1594 ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026 REGARDING KHELO
INDIA SCHEME IN TAMIL NADU ASKED BY SHRI R. DHARMAR, HON’BLE MP,
RAJYA SABHA
Major achievements under Khelo India Scheme
Creation and Upgradation of Sports Infrastructure: 344 new sports infrastructure projects have
been approved in 32 States / Union Territories at a total sanctioned cost of ₹ 3158.33 crore.
Annual Sports Competitions: Under this initiative, 22 editions of Khelo India Games have been
organized i.e. 01 Khelo India School Games, 06 editions of Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), 05
editions of Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG), 05 editions of Khelo India University Games
(KIUG), 02 Khelo India Para Games (KIPG), 01 Khelo India Water Sports Festival and 02 Khelo
India Beach Games. These games have witnessed a total participation of more than 60,000
athletes.
Khelo India Centres & Sports Academies: 35 KISCEs have been approved in 34 States/UTs.
These KISCE are being provided financial support in terms of manpower, sports equipment, sports
science support, etc. will be provided after conducting viability gap analysis. Till date a total of
1067 Khelo India Centres (KIC) have been notified across the country. A total of 322 Academies
accredited for training of athletes identified under the Khelo India.
Khelo India Talent Identification: Khelo India Talent Identification Development (KITD) is one of
the most important verticals of the Khelo India Scheme. The country with vast diversity in terms
of physical attributes offers immense opportunity to excel in the field of sports provided sporting
talent is identified at right time and age-appropriate nurturing is done by coaches with the help of
sports science support to achieve the objective winning medals in Olympics. The funding has been
raised to Rs. 6,28,400/- per annum including an amount of Rs. 10000/- per month as Out of Pocket
Allowance (OPA). This is for all identified Khelo India Athletes (KIAs) irrespective of their
background. More than 2905 KIAs are currently getting supported across 22 sports disciplines.
Fit India Movement: The objective is to make fitness an integral part of daily life of Indians by
encouraging them to enrol and participate in Fitness Events/Activities such as marathons,
cyclothons, runs and more, throughout the year, making it a People’s Movement.
Sports for women: It aims at encouraging participation of women in sports through various
activities. Under this initiative, various Khelo India Women’s League – are being conducted. Till
now women leagues have been organised in 34 sports disciplines across the country. Total 2407
competitions have been organized for Women athletes more than 2,00,000 participants. This
initiative has significantly increased women participation in sports across the nation and has
provided ample opportunities to women athletes to compete, learn and grow in all age groups.
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