The Sports Authority of India (SAI) announced the Khelo India Revamped Scheme for 2026–31 with a massive financial outlay of ₹36,441 crore, aiming to strengthen India's grassroots-to-podium sports pathway. The scheme will support ten times more athletes and map infrastructure under a new State Action Plan to boost cooperative federalism in sports. Prominent athletes, including Paralympic gold medalist Pramod Bhagat, emphasized the scheme's focus on talent identification, modern coaching, and accessibility, particularly highlighting Maharashtra's robust sports ecosystem.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre Mumbai held a press interaction to highlight the government's expanded vision under the Khelo India Revamped Scheme (2026–31). Regional Director Pandurang Chate detailed the ₹36,441-crore initiative meant to overhaul India’s sports ecosystem. Distinguished athletes endorsed the framework's approach to delivering structured training and high-performance opportunities from the grassroots to the podium.
The press interaction took place in Mumbai at the Mumbai Press Club on August 18, 2026. The scheme will be implemented nationwide from 2026 to 2031. Officials expressed confidence that Maharashtra, owing to its strong sporting culture, will significantly benefit from the expanded framework.
Historically, India has lagged in per-capita sports spending compared to sporting giants like the USA or China. The ₹36,441-crore allocation significantly bridges this gap. It mirrors structural models like the UK's grassroots-to-elite pathway, bringing India closer to international sports administration standards.
Core Concept: Sports Authority of India (SAI) & Sports Governance
Q1. What is the total financial outlay of the Khelo India Revamped Scheme for the period 2026–31? [Easy]
A) ₹12,500 crore
B) ₹25,000 crore
C) ₹36,441 crore
D) ₹45,200 crore
Answer: C
Explanation: The revamped Khelo India Scheme has an outlay of ₹36,441 crore for 2026–31.
Q2. Under the Khelo India Revamped Scheme, which new network is being established specifically to widen talent identification alongside Khelo India Centres? [Easy]
A) National Sports Academies
B) Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas and Feeder Schools
C) Olympic Gold Quest Centres
D) Zonal Athletic Hubs
Answer: B
Explanation: The revamped framework envisages Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas, Feeder Schools, and Centres to widen the talent network.
Q3. How does the Khelo India Revamped Scheme plan to empower state governments in sports development? [Moderate]
A) By transferring all SAI assets to state control
B) Through the implementation of a State Action Plan for Sports Infrastructure Development
C) By making sports a subject in the Concurrent List
D) By allowing states to independently send teams to the Olympics
Answer: B
Explanation: The State Action Plan will provide States a greater role in developing and strengthening sports infrastructure.
Q4. According to the scheme's vision, what is the primary strategy for existing infrastructure across major sporting disciplines? [Moderate]
A) Demolishing old stadiums to build modern ones
B) Mapping and assessing existing facilities to identify gaps and upgrade requirements
C) Privatizing all district-level stadiums
D) Converting all cricket stadiums to multi-sport facilities
Answer: B
Explanation: Existing infrastructure across Olympic, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games disciplines will be mapped and assessed to identify gaps and upgrade requirements.
Q5. By what magnitude does the Khelo India Revamped Scheme aim to expand the number of supported athletes? [Moderate]
A) Double the previous number
B) Five times the previous number
C) Nearly ten times the previous number
D) Twenty times the previous number
Answer: C
Explanation: It aims to expand the number of athletes supported by nearly ten times.
Q6. Which of the following is NOT one of the explicit focus areas of the Khelo India Revamped Scheme mentioned in its core components? [Tricky]
A) Coach and support staff development
B) Fit India Movement
C) Compulsory military training for elite athletes
D) Sports Technology
Answer: C
Explanation: The scheme covers nine components including coach development, Fit India Movement, and Sports Technology, but does not mandate military training.
Q7. The scheme categorizes the supported athletes across major sporting disciplines primarily into which two groups? [Tricky]
A) Elite Athletes and Grassroots Athletes
B) Khelo India Athletes (KIA) and Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIA)
C) TOPS Core and TOPS Developmental
D) National Probables and State Probables
Answer: B
Explanation: Support will be provided specifically to Khelo India Athletes (KIA) and Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIA).
Q8. Which Indian constitutional provision is most directly relevant to the scheme’s requirement of a "State Action Plan" for infrastructure? [Tricky]
A) Article 21 (Right to Life)
B) Entry 33 of the State List (List II)
C) Article 51A (Fundamental Duties)
D) Entry 14 of the Union List (List I)
Answer: B
Explanation: Sports is a State subject under Entry 33 of the State List, necessitating cooperative mechanisms like the State Action Plan.
PYQ 1:
With reference to the Khelo India Revamped Scheme (2026–31), what is the central aim of its infrastructure strategy?
A) To exclusively build new stadiums in rural areas
B) To map existing infrastructure for Olympic, Asian, and Commonwealth Games to identify gaps and upgrade requirements
C) To transfer the financial burden of all stadiums to the corporate sector
D) To focus purely on cricket infrastructure across Tier-2 cities
Answer: B
Explanation: The infrastructure strategy explicitly focuses on mapping and assessing existing facilities across Olympic, Asian, and CWG disciplines to identify gaps.
PYQ 2:
Consider the following statements regarding the Khelo India Revamped Scheme (2026–31):
1. It operates with a financial outlay that is roughly eight times its previous allocation.
2. It introduces Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas to expand the talent identification network.
3. The scheme focuses exclusively on able-bodied athletes and excludes para sports.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) All of the above
Answer: B
Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is incorrect because the scheme explicitly includes para athletes, as emphasized by Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat.
PYQ 3:
Assertion (A): The Khelo India Revamped Scheme includes a "State Action Plan for Sports Infrastructure Development."
Reason (R): Sports governance and infrastructure primarily fall under the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution, demanding equal Union and State funding.
Select the correct code:
A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
B) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
C) A is true but R is false
D) A is false but R is true
Answer: C
Explanation: The Assertion is true. However, the Reason is false because 'Sports' falls under the State List (Entry 33), not the Concurrent List.
Question 1 (150 words): Analyze how the Khelo India Revamped Scheme (2026–31) bridges the gap between grassroots talent and high-performance sports.
The Khelo India Revamped Scheme (2026–31) marks a paradigm shift in Indian sports governance by formally institutionalizing the grassroots-to-podium pathway. With a massive financial outlay of ₹36,441 crore—an eight-fold increase from previous allocations—the scheme bridges critical gaps in the sporting ecosystem. It achieves this by creating a structured three-tier talent identification network comprising Khelo India Centres, Feeder Schools, and Utkrishta Vidyalayas. This ensures that talent is caught young and systematically nurtured. Furthermore, by categorizing talent into Khelo India Athletes (KIA) and Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIA), the state provides targeted financial, sports science, and coaching support across major disciplines. Crucially, the scheme addresses infrastructure bottlenecks by mapping existing assets against Olympic and Asian Games requirements. Moving forward, robust implementation of this framework is essential to channelize India's demographic dividend into sustained Olympic success.
Question 2 (250 words): "Effective sports governance in India requires cooperative federalism rather than top-down administration." Discuss this statement in the context of the State Action Plan introduced under the Khelo India Revamped Scheme.
Sports governance in India faces a unique constitutional reality: while national pride is tied to international sporting success, 'Sports' remains an Entry 33 subject under the State List. This necessitates a model of cooperative federalism rather than a centralized, top-down approach. The Khelo India Revamped Scheme (2026–31) explicitly acknowledges this through its "State Action Plan for Sports Infrastructure Development".
Historically, state governments and the central Sports Authority of India operated in silos, leading to duplicated efforts and infrastructural gaps. The revamped scheme, backed by an unprecedented ₹36,441 crore outlay, changes this dynamic by mapping existing infrastructure and involving states directly in upgrading facilities for Olympic and Commonwealth Games disciplines. By providing states a greater role in developing and strengthening strategic sports assets, the framework aligns national medal ambitions with local implementation capacities.
Furthermore, the scheme’s expansive goal to support nearly ten times the number of athletes requires deep local integration. Establishing Khelo India Feeder Schools and Utkrishta Vidyalayas cannot succeed without state-level educational and administrative cooperation. The inclusivity emphasized by para-athletes like Pramod Bhagat also requires state machinery to ensure facilities are accessible at the district level.
In conclusion, the State Action Plan transforms states from mere passive recipients of central funds into active stakeholders in India’s sporting future. For India to emerge as a global sporting powerhouse by the 2032 Olympics, maintaining this synergistic federal partnership will be critical.
For Prelims, examiners are highly likely to test the exact budget outlay (₹36,441 crore), the specific new institutions (Utkrishta Vidyalayas), and the target timeline (2026–31). For Mains (GS-2), focus your analysis on the "State Action Plan" as a prime example of cooperative federalism and decentralization in social sector governance. In Interviews, expect situational questions on how to improve local sports infrastructure, where quoting the scheme's "gap mapping" strategy will show administrative maturity. Prediction: A statement-based question linking Khelo India's infrastructure mapping specifically to Olympic and Asian Games disciplines is highly probable in the next UPSC Prelims.