- Why in news
- On 31 July 2026 the Union Cabinet approved a revamped Khelo India Scheme and an enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF) scheme, with a combined outlay of Rs 36,441 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31.
- What it is
- Khelo India is the Centre's flagship programme to build grassroots sports and a talent pipeline in India. It is run by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and links school and university competitions to elite support such as TOPS. The ANSF scheme separately funds National Sports Federations for training, equipment and international events.
- New school initiatives
- Khelo India Feeder Schools (KIFS) and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas (KIUV) are introduced to integrate sports with mainstream education.
- E-KIAs category
- Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIAs) are created alongside existing Khelo India Athletes, expanding the athlete pool nearly ten times.
- National Coach Accreditation Board
- A National Coach Accreditation Board (NCAB) will be set up to standardise coaching qualifications.
- Pathway to TOPS
- The scheme sets a progression from grassroots competitions to Khelo India and then to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
- Nodal ministry
- Khelo India is implemented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Don’t confuse with Khelo India vs TOPS: Khelo India is the broad grassroots-to-talent programme; TOPS is the elite scheme supporting medal prospects for the Olympics and Paralympics.
Don’t confuse with Khelo India vs Fit India: Khelo India builds sports talent and competition; Fit India is a fitness movement for the general public, now being expanded.
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
- Creates a single pathway from school sports to Olympic preparation, widening the talent base.
- Supports India's 2030 Commonwealth Games and Olympic hosting ambitions.
Problems
- Delivery depends on States, schools and federations, whose capacity varies widely.
- Reaching remote and economically weaker areas needs sustained funding and good coaches.
Way forward
- Use the unified digital platform and the coach board to track outcomes and enforce standards.
- Bring in private and corporate partners while keeping access open to poor and rural athletes.
Put in your answer
Alignment with policy: The scheme is aligned with Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 and the National Education Policy 2020.
- 2014Mains GS2 · Q12Merit of state talent hunts versus cash rewards for athletes.
- 2014Mains ESSAY · Q3Whether India can achieve fifty Olympic gold medals.
- 2023Prelims Q95Pairs on sports awards: how many correctly matched.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
With reference to the revamped Khelo India Scheme approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2026, consider the following statements: 1. The revamped Khelo India Scheme and the Assistance to National Sports Federations scheme have a combined outlay of Rs 36,441 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31. 2. The Emerging Khelo India Athletes category replaces the existing Khelo India Athletes programme. 3. Khelo India Feeder Schools and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas are new school sports initiatives under the scheme. 4. The National Coach Accreditation Board is meant to standardise coaching qualifications. How many of the statements given above are correct?
How many of the statements given above are correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The revamped Khelo India Scheme and the ANSF scheme together have an outlay of Rs 36,441 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31.
True. Combined outlay is Rs 36,441 crore for 2026-31.
2.The scheme creates the Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIAs) category, which replaces the existing Khelo India Athletes programme.
False. E-KIAs are created alongside the existing Khelo India Athletes programme, not in place of it.
3.Khelo India Feeder Schools and Khelo India Utkrishta Vidyalayas are new school sports initiatives under the revamped scheme.
True. KIFS and KIUV are the two new school initiatives.
4.The National Coach Accreditation Board is meant to standardise coaching qualifications.
True. NCAB standardises coaching qualifications and professional standards.
5.The scheme provides a progression from Khelo India to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
True. Pathway runs from grassroots to Khelo India to TOPS.
6.The Assistance to National Sports Federations scheme is meant mainly to fund school-level competitions run by state education boards.
False. ANSF funds national federations for coaching, sports science, equipment, camps, foreign experts and international participation.
7.Khelo India is implemented by the Ministry of Education.
False. It is implemented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.