National Sports Policy 2025

General Studies Paper-2

Context

• India, a country with immense talent and growing ambitions in the global sporting arena, is poised for a strategic transformation with the introduction of the National Sports Policy 2025.

About

• The new policy supersedes the existing National Sports Policy, 2001.
• It lays out a visionary and strategic roadmap to establish India as a global sporting powerhouse and a strong contender for including the 2036 Olympic Games.

Policy is Anchored on Five Key Pillars

• Excellence on the Global Stage: Strengthen sports programs from the grassroots to elite levels.
  • Build world-class systems for training, coaching, and holistic athlete support.
• Sports for Economic Development: It seeks to promote sports tourism and attract major international events to India.
• Encourage private sector participation.
• Sports for Social Development: Promoting participation among women, economically weaker sections, tribal communities, and persons with disabilities through focused programs.
• Sports as a People’s Movement: The policy aims to drive mass participation and a culture of fitness through nationwide campaigns and community-based events.
• Integration with Education (NEP 2020): In alignment with the National Education Policy 2020, the NSP 2025 proposes to integrate sports into school curricula.

Strategic Framework:

• Governance: Establish a robust regulatory framework for sports governance, including legal framework.
• Private Sector Funding & support: Develop innovative financing mechanisms and engage private sector participation through PPPs and CSR.
• Technology & Innovation: Leverage emerging technologies, including AI and data analytics, for performance tracking, research, and program implementation.
• National Monitoring Framework: Create a national framework with well-defined benchmarks, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and time-bound targets.
• Model Policy for States: The NSP 2025 will serve as a model for States and Union Territories, encouraging them to revise or formulate their own policies in alignment with national objectives.
• Whole-of-Government Approach: The policy calls for integration of sports promotion into the activities, schemes, and programs of all Ministries and Departments to achieve a holistic impact.

Need for the Policy

• The Paris Olympics ended with India securing six medals — one silver and five bronze — to place 71st in the medals tally.
• It was ranked below nations with much smaller populations including Georgia, Kazakhstan and North Korea.
• The United States, with less than a quarter of India’s population, topped the charts with 126 medals followed by China with 91.
• India has now won just 41 Olympic medals in total since its debut in 1900, all at the Summer Games.
• The country’s performance led to many questions about the need for a sporting culture.

Significance of the Policy

• Focuses on identifying and nurturing talent from a young age through structured pathways.
• Advocates for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in infrastructure development.
• Recognizes the economic potential of sports—including job creation, tourism, and manufacturing.
• Integrates sports science, medicine, psychology, and nutrition for athlete development.
• Aligns with Fit India Movement, Khelo India, and Viksit Bharat @2047 goals.