Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan meets Abhinav Bindra to boost sports at school level

In a post shared on X, the Union Minister Pradhan wrote, "A pleasure to meet Olympic gold medallist and national icon Shri @Abhinav_Bindra. Fruitful conversations on nurturing sporting excellence at the school level. Also, discussed ways we can utilise his expertise for designing sports-based curriculum, imparting sports-integrated learning, promoting mental wellness and adopting fitness as a lifelong attitude."

Last year on December, to fulfil the vision of positioning India among the Top 10 sporting nations by 2036 and accelerate global sporting excellence, the Department of Sports recognized the need to strengthen the sports administrative capabilities, according to a release.

It constituted a Task Force on Capacity Building of Sports Administrators, chaired by Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, to design a framework for strengthening the capacity of Sports administrators.

The Task Force has recently submitted its report to the Department of Sports for consideration. The report is available on the website of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYA&S). This comprehensive report reinforced the view that for realizing a transformative vision, including hosting the Olympic Games, requires a professional, accountable, and forward-looking sports administrators.

The Task Force has inter-alia, recommended establishing of the National Council for Sports Education & Capacity Building (NCSECB) as an autonomous statutory body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to regulate, accredit, and certify sports administration training.

The Task Force in its report calls for introducing a five-level Capability Maturity Model (CMM) as a diagnostic and planning tool for strengthening the capacity of sports administrators. This is aimed to enable SAI, NSFs, and State Departments to assess institutional maturity across cadre structure, curriculum adoption, digital enablement, and athlete pathways. It shall further support evidence-based monitoring and targeted interventions.

The report also recommends integrating sports governance training modules into the induction and advanced training of IAS and State Civil Service officers, recognizing their role in implementation of sports policies. The report proposes tying training to practical application and career progression through structured placements, a national accreditation registry, and policy integration.

The report has called for rotational postings, apprenticeship models, innovation labs, and partnerships with federations, government, and the private sector to ensure administrators can apply skills and advance professionally.

The Department of Sports is currently assessing the Task Force's recommendations for further necessary action as part of its push to professionalize India's sporting ecosystem. Department of Sports has already initiated reforms to strengthen the sports administration ecosystem.

It has revised the norms of assistance under the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs) in May 2025, where NSFs can now allocate up to 10% of their total funding for administrative manpower, ensuring they have the professional staffing and technical support needed to operate more effectively.

Further, expenses required for smooth administrative operation, legal services, and the hiring of specialized young professionals or interns, are permitted up to 2.5% of the annual budget under the Scheme.

Further, NSFs have been mandated to have an appropriate administrative structure and ensure proper advertisement for staff appointments.These reforms aim to establish a globally respected, athlete-focused governance framework, positioning India for long-term sporting success, including 2036 and beyond. The Government has also already laid the foundation for this vision through the enactment of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. (ANI)