Parliament Question: Scheme for Enhancing Talent among Tribal Youth

Government of India Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1356 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2025 Scheme for Enhancing Talent among Tribal Youth †1356. Shri Virendra Singh: Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has any plan to develop the talent of the youth of tribal/forest areas of the country and get it recognised at the national level; (b) whether it is a fact that there is no dearth of talent among the children of tribal areas across the country but due to lack of facilities they are not able to participate in national sports competitions; (c) if so, whether the Government has any plan to set up sports training centers in tribal dominated districts; (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (e) whether there is no sports ground/stadium for sports like archery, football, kabaddi etc. in the tribal area of Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh despite the availability of land; (f) if so, whether the Government has any plan in this regard alongwith the funds being allocated for the said purpose; and (g) if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)(a) to (d) The Government has several plans and schemes to develop the talent of youth from tribal and forest areas and to ensure that their skills and potential are recognized at the national level. These efforts are carried out by various Ministries and Departments. For instance, Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing the Central Sector Scheme of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) for providing quality education to tribal students, both boys and girls, in their own environment. The EMRSs are to be at par with Navodaya Vidyalayas with special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development. Construction of an EMRS requires provision of 15 acres land and has a capacity to accommodate 480 students including equal number of boys and girls studying in class VI to XII. As on date, 728 schools have been approved, out of which 479 EMRSs have been reported to be functional across the country. National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organization, has been established to manage and implement the scheme of EMRS in co-ordination with State EMRS Societies. EMRS schools prioritize all-round development of students and therefore various activities such as adventure sports, cultural programs, sports competitions, excursions, and exchange programs between different EMRS schools are regularly organized. There are various activities have been introduced in EMRSs to promote the sports activities in EMRSs such as:- 1. Development of infrastructure facilities for both indoor and outdoor sports and sports training to nurture athletic talent. 2. Encouragement and support for students to participate in national and international sports events. 3. Every year, Ministry organizes cultural meet and sports meet for EMRS students to encourage them in extra-curricular activities by providing them national level exposure to exhibit their talents. Further, Sports is a state subject and promotion of sports in a state is the responsibility of the respective State Governments. However, to support the efforts of State Governments, Sports Authority of India (SAI)under Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports is implementing the following Sports Promotional Schemes across the country including tribal youth to identify talented sportspersons at grassroots levels in the various age groups and nurture them to excel at national and international levels: • National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) • SAI Training Centre (STC) • Extension Centre of STC • National Sports Talent Contest (NSTC) (its Sub-Schemes - Regular Schools, IGMA & Akharas) The sportspersons identified under SAI Sports Promotional Schemes belong to all sections of society including the rural, tribal and backward areas of the country and are provided with regular training on Residential and Non-Residential basis as per the approved norms of the Schemes. The details of centres in tribal/forest areas are as under: Regional Centre Name(s) State Centre Guwahati Kokrajhar Assam Imphal Aizawl Mizoram Dimapur Nagaland Kolkata Nicobar Andaman & Nicobar LNCPE Androth Lakshadweep The selected athletes are provided financial support in the form of expert coaches, sports equipment, Scientific support, boarding and lodging, sports kit, competition exposure, educational expenses, medical/ insurance and stipend as per the approved scheme norms. In addition to above, the sports infrastructure of SAI is also being utilized by local and grassroots level athletes. Under SAI Sports Promotional Schemes, athletes are not classified on the basis of caste, creed, community etc. Selected athletes are provided with modern sports equipment for advanced training. Regular training under supervision of expert coaches and support staff is imparted to athletes aimed at achieving competitive excellence.Further, the Khelo India Scheme has twin objectives of mass participation and promotion of excellence in sports. Various initiatives have been launched under this scheme to promote sports and develop the talent in tribal/forest areas of the country. Component wise details are as follows: 1. Khelo India Talent Identification and Development: 2808 athletes in 21 sports disciplines (including Para sports) have been notified. A total of 306 academies have been accredited for the training of the Khelo India athletes (KIAs). Support per trainee per annum under the norms for the funding of residential Khelo India Athlete (KIA) under accredited sports academies is ₹ 6,28,400/-. 19 Editions of Khelo India Games have been conducted so far with the participation of more than 56000 athletes those including from NCT of Delhi also. which act as platform for athletes, including athletes from both urban and rural areas. 2. Khelo India Centres and Sports Academies: a) Khelo India Centre (KIC): KICs are set up with an objective of facilitating training for willing children, providing livelihood opportunities to Past Champion Athletes (PCAs) as coaches and to augment the utilization of existing infrastructure. As on date, a total of 1057 KICs across the country have been notified till date across 36 States/UTs, out of which 966 KICs are currently operational and training 28,110 athletes. b) KISCE (Khelo India Centre of Excellence): 34 KISCE in 33 states with manpower 420 sanctioned filling critical gaps in manpower, sports equipment and sports science equipment, facilitating training of 2244 athletes across the country. 3. Inclusiveness in Sports: This component focuses on making sports accessible to all, especially promoting sports for women, persons with disabilities, marginalized communities, and supporting rural/indigenous games. (i) Sports for women: Khelo India Women League was started in 2021 to offer opportunities to women for participating & excelling in sportingactivities. It was renamed as ASMITA League which Stands for “Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action”. As on date women leagues have been organized in 29 sports disciplines across the country. Total 1310 competitions have been organized for Women athletes with 138875 participants. Also, under the Khelo India Scheme, Khelo India Centres are set up with an objective of facilitating training for willing children, providing livelihood opportunities to Past Champion Athletes (PCAs) as coaches and to augment the utilization of existing infrastructure across the country including tribal dominated districts. The details can be found in the following URL: https://dashboard.kheloindia.gov.in. (e) to (g) SAI creates/upgrades infrastructure in its SAI Centres only. The is no SAI Centre operational in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh at present. Further, 01 Khelo India Centre in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh in Wrestling discipline have been notified. District Name of KIC Discipline Male Female Total Chandauli Shri Krishan Wrestling 15 15 30 Gymnasium Seve Trust, Karwat Dandi, Chandauli The proposals for creation and up-gradation of sports infrastructure 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. As of now, under the component “Creation and Up-gradation of Sports Infrastructure” of the Khelo India Scheme, 328 sports infrastructure projects have been sanctioned across the country, including 31 in the State of Uttar Pradesh. Details are available at https://mdsd.kheloindia.gov.in/.