Active lifestyle, fitness and sports are vital to nurture healthy, confident, and dynamic youth. Rooted in the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship, and Respect, they foster teamwork, fair play, and a spirit of healthy competition, shaping well-rounded personalities and driving holistic human development.
I am honoured to lead the Department at a time when India’s athletes are consistently delivering inspiring performances on the global stage, be it Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or World Championships. These achievements reflect India’s steady progression towards becoming a top sporting nation.We have recently launched the Khelo Bharat Niti-2025, which seeks to reshape the country’s sporting landscape and empower citizens through sports. We are actively pursuing its objectives through coordinated efforts at grassroots as well as elite levels in collaboration with States, the Indian Olympic Association, and National Sports Federations.Equally, the Department is committed to ensure good governance in sports. In this direction, the proposed legislation seeks to bring greater transparency, accountability, and professionalism in the functioning of sports bodies.Our flagship initiative, the Khelo India Scheme, continues to drive the promotion and development of sports across the country. Further, digital integration is being pursued through initiatives such as the National Sports Repository System (NSRS). These initiatives reflect our commitment to build a robust sports ecosystem and further the nation’s aspiration to emerge as a leading sporting power globally.
Looking ahead, the aspiration to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games marks a pivotal goal that will inspire young talent and set new benchmarks for sporting excellence. In alignment with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, we are committed to strengthen the existing ecosystem,improve the capacity of Coaches and focus on early talent identification and development.
Hari Ranjan Rao, IAS
Secretary (Sports)
