Government Policies and Schemes for Promotion of Women’s Sports in India

Female participation in competitive and recreational sports drives human resource development, health outcomes, and gender equality. Under the Constitution of India, sports falls under Entry 33 of the State List (List II) in the Seventh Schedule. The Union Government supplements state initiatives through dedicated central schemes, targeted talent search drives, institutional quotas, and specialized training hubs managed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Institutional Framework and Statutory Provisions

Central policies for female athletes emphasize equal access to elite training environments, safe operational practices, and managerial representation within national governing bodies.

Statutory Mandates and Administrative Rules

• National Sports Governance Act, 2025: Replaced executive guidelines with statutory mandates. It dictates that every recognized National Sports Federation (NSF) must reserve seats for women within its internal executive committee structure.
• Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) Parity: Mandates that 50% of the active or retired elite sportspersons integrated into general bodies and decision-making committees of NSFs must be female athletes.
• Safe Sports Policy Framework: Requires all recognized sports bodies to maintain operating codes preventing gender discrimination, contractual exploitation, and sexual harassment, working in tandem with the POSH Act, 2013.

Core Schemes Supporting Female Athletes

The Union Government implements multi-tiered financial, technical, and developmental schemes to support female sportspersons from grassroots discovery to elite international events.

Khelo India Scheme: “Sports for Women” Vertical

• Dedicated Sub-Component: Includes an explicit “Sports for Women” vertical designed to eliminate gender disparities in access to competitive infrastructure.
• ASMITA Initiative: Renamed from the Khelo India Women’s League, ASMITA (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action) conducts structured leagues across multiple disciplines. It provides match exposure and talent identification opportunities for young female competitors.
• Financial Scholarships: Selected female athletes under the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) pathway receive a annual scholarship of ₹6,28,400, which includes an Out-of-Pocket Allowance (OPA) of ₹1,20,000 per annum.

Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)

• High-Performance Funding: Identifies elite and developmental female athletes preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• Customized Assistance: Provides foreign coaching, specialized sports science support, equipment, and a monthly out-of-pocket allowance of ₹50,000 for Core Group athletes and ₹25,000 for Development Group athletes.

Sports Authority of India (SAI) Promotional Schemes

• National Centres of Excellence (NCoE): High-performance residential training hubs offering sports science support, nutrition management, and world-class equipment. SAI established an exclusive NCoE for women in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
• SAI Training Centres (STCs): Specialized regional centers groom young female talent aged 12 to 18 years. Exclusive women-only STCs operate at Badal (Punjab) and Solalgaon, alongside specialized expansion centers at Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).

Comparative Analysis of Core Women’s Sports Schemes

Key Facts on Female Sports in India

• Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, securing a weightlifting bronze at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
• The Khelo India Scheme operates a dedicated “Sports for Women” vertical to balance gender participation ratios across rural, urban, and tribal belts.
• ASMITA stands for Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action and represents the upgraded framework of the Khelo India Women’s League.
• Under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, “Sports” is categorized under Entry 33 of the State List (List II).
• P.T. Usha became the first female athlete to serve as President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
• The Sports Authority of India set up an exclusive National Centre of Excellence for female athletes in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
• National Sports Federations are required to maintain a safe sports framework compliant with the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, 2013.