Government Schemes for Sports and Para-Athletes in India

India’s sports schemes combine grassroots participation, talent identification, elite preparation and financial support for athletes. Several initiatives also address barriers faced by para-athletes through dedicated competitions, training, scholarships and welfare provisions.

National Sports Policy 2025

The National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025, also known as Khelo Bharat Niti 2025, was approved by the Union Cabinet on July 1, 2025, and launched on July 10, 2025. It supersedes the National Sports Policy 2001 and seeks to establish India as a global sporting powerhouse by 2036, including as a strong contender for the 2036 Olympic Games. The policy is organized around five pillars. Its stated priorities include excellence on the global stage, sports-led economic development, social development and integrating sports with education. It calls for stronger grassroots infrastructure, systematic early identification of talent and wider access to sporting opportunities. Inclusion is an important focus, with attention to women, persons with disabilities and economically weaker groups. The policy also proposes a Sports Regulatory Board to address governance and operational issues in sports federations. For prelims, the policy links elite sporting ambitions with participation and inclusion. Its implementation will require public funding and stronger grassroots capacity, alongside accessible opportunities for athletes with disabilities.

Khelo India Scheme

Launched in 2017, Khelo India is the flagship national programme for grassroots sports, talent development and sporting infrastructure. The Union Cabinet approved a revamped and expanded scheme with an outlay of Rs. 36,441 crore for 2026–27 to 2030–31. It provides an athlete development pathway from talent identification to Olympic preparation, with the aim of building an integrated nationwide sports ecosystem. The scheme includes a component promoting sports among persons with disabilities. Two editions of the Khelo India Para Games were held in December 2023 and March 2025, providing national-level exposure to more than 2,000 para-athletes. Twenty-four Khelo India para-athletes participated in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and secured six medals for India. The scheme illustrates how public investment can connect grassroots participation with elite preparation. Para Games also provide a national competition platform and exposure for athletes, complementing longer-term training and talent-development efforts.

Target Olympic Podium Scheme

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) launched the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) in September 2014 and revamped it in April 2018. It aims to improve India’s performance at the Olympic and Paralympic Games by giving identified probable athletes holistic support. Support includes foreign training, participation in international competitions, advanced equipment, specialised coaching camps and a monthly stipend of ₹50,000. The TOPS Core Group currently includes 61 para-athletes—21 women and 40 men—across eight disciplines. TOPS athletes at the 2016 Paralympic Games won two gold, one silver and one bronze medal. As of August 20, 2025, ₹149 crore had been allocated across 12 priority sports federations under the Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF) Scheme for the 2024–25 cycle. This allocation is distinct from the individual athlete support provided through TOPS.

Federation Support and Athlete Welfare

The ANSF Scheme provides financial assistance to recognised National Sports Federations, including the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). The support helps federations strengthen training programmes and facilitate international participation for athletes, including para-athletes. MYAS provides the PCI and other federations administering para sports with budgets for their Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC). The Scheme of Sports Fund for Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons supports accomplished athletes after retirement. Eligible Olympic and Paralympic medallists receive a lifelong monthly pension of ₹20,000. Applicants must be Indian citizens, have won a gold, silver or bronze medal at an eligible competition, and have retired from active sports after attaining 30 years of age. Revised provisions announced in 2022 extended coverage to Deaflympics medallists. The Scheme of Sports and Games for the Persons with Disabilities focuses on coaching, sports science and nutrition programmes tailored to para-athletes. It also provides grants for district-, state- and national-level competitions for athletes with disabilities. Together, these measures address athlete welfare through training support, competition opportunities and post-retirement income.

Training, Scholarships and Fitness

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is implementing National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) across the country to identify and nurture athletes, including para-athletes. Gandhinagar is the nodal centre for Para Sports. A total of 286 para-athlete positions have been sanctioned at the centres, with 183 residential athletes undergoing structured training across disciplines. The SBI Foundation’s SBIF PASS Junior programme is a nationwide sports scholarship for Indian para-athletes aged 15–19. It supports 90 athletes with ₹40,000 per month for one year. A separate general para-athlete scholarship also provides ₹40,000 monthly for one year to Indian para-athletes under 35 who have represented their State or India at national or international level in eligible Paralympic sports. The Fit India Movement, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 29, 2019, promotes fitness as part of daily life and seeks to foster a nationwide sports culture. Alongside elite schemes, such initiatives support wider participation and reinforce the role of grassroots capacity-building.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• NSP 2025: Launched on July 10, 2025; supersedes the National Sports Policy 2001 and targets sporting excellence by 2036.
• Khelo India: Launched in 2017; revamped scheme outlay is Rs. 36,441 crore for 2026–27 to 2030–31.
• Khelo India Para Games: Held in December 2023 and March 2025; 24 Khelo India para-athletes won six medals at Paris 2024.
• TOPS: Launched in September 2014 and revamped in April 2018; provides a ₹50,000 monthly stipend to identified athletes.
• Athlete welfare: Eligible Olympic, Paralympic and Deaflympics medallists are covered by a lifelong ₹20,000 monthly pension.
• Para-athlete development: Gandhinagar is the nodal Para Sports NCOE; SBIF PASS Junior supports athletes aged 15–19.

Recent Context

Ashok Kumar Malik won silver in the men’s 65kg Para powerlifting event at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan. His best lift of 192kg on October 20, 2026, improved on his previous bronze and marked India’s first powerlifting medal at the Games.