- Why in news
- On 5 February 2026 (reply published 6 Feb), the Sports Minister told Rajya Sabha that Khelo Bharat Niti 2025, launched on 10 July 2025, guides sports promotion, with States holding primary responsibility.
- What it is
- Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 is India's National Sports Policy, launched in July 2025. It aims to build an inclusive, performance-driven sports ecosystem and links sports with education and community participation. It replaces the earlier national sports policy framework.
- Vision
- The vision is 'Sports for Nation Building', using sports for holistic national development.
- Constitutional position
- Sports is a State subject, so States and UTs carry primary responsibility; the Union supplements their efforts.
- Inclusion focus
- The policy targets the rural-urban gap, with access for women, persons with disabilities and economically weaker groups.
- Evaluation
- Union schemes are assessed through third-party evaluation under Department of Expenditure guidelines.
- Nodal ministry
- The policy is issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Don’t confuse with Khelo Bharat Niti vs Khelo India: Khelo Bharat Niti is a policy framework (2025); Khelo India is a Union scheme for sports infrastructure and talent, which operates under such policy.
Don’t confuse with National Sports Policy 2001: The 2001 policy was the earlier national sports policy; the 2025 Niti is the new one.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Gives a common national direction for grassroots sports, talent identification and inclusion.
- Links sports with school education and community participation.
Problems
- Sports is a State subject, so the Union depends on State action and funding.
- Rural-urban gaps in facilities and training persist.
Way forward
- Coordinate Centre-State action through shared targets and funding.
- Use third-party evaluation to track outcomes and fix gaps.
Put in your answer
Federal division: Sports being a State subject shows cooperative federalism: the Union supplements State efforts through schemes.
Inclusive access: The policy stresses women, persons with disabilities and economically weaker groups in sports access.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: New national sports policy on a lasting topic; sports is a State subject. Few hard facts for a statement, so no question.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.