CHAPTER VII PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS
Sports Policy and Programme The National Policy on Education as adopted by Parliament in 1968 lays down the following in respect of games and sports :
"Games and Sports Games and Sports should be developed on a large scale with the object of improving the physical fitness and sportsmanship of the average student as well as those who excel in this department. Where playing fields and other facilities for developing a nation-wide programme of Physical Education do not exist they should be provided on a priority basis".
Within the broad frame-work of the existing National Policy on Education enunciated above, the Government of India have been taking various steps to promote and develop physical education and sports in the country, both among the educational institutions and amongst the non-student youth. The Government's policy in this behalf keeps in view the complementary nature of broad-based mass physical and sports activity on the one hand and the competitive sports aimed at excellence and high achievement on the other.
In the existing programme undertaken by the Central Government the thrust has been on broad-basing of sports and physical fitness activities particularly in rural and tribal areas. Similarly, special attention is paid to the promotion of these activities among girls and women. Simultaneously, sports talent is spotted among boys and girls at a very young age and' adequate encouragement and facilities provided to them to nurture their talent; achieve excellence in different sports and bring glory to the country in the international sports competitions. The other salient features of the sports policy are making physical education, sports anti games compulsory at school stage, providing physical facilities like play-
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fields, stadia, swimming pools etc., where such facilities do not exist, establishing rural sports centres, preserving open spaces, particularly in urban areas, giving incentives to promising sportsmen and sportswomen, giving preference to such games and sports as are popular in a particular area and are inexpensive. The National Policy on Sports is being given a fresh look in consultation with the All India Council of Sports who have set up a Sub-Committee specialty for this purpose.
During the year the Central programme of Physical Education and Sports, in the context of the above enunciated policy, continued to be pursued. Further, the Central Schemes were reviewed by a Working Group which was constituted by the Government for formulation of Central Schemes of Physical Education and Sports for inclusion in the Sixth Five Year Plan. All the existing schemes have been recommended by the Working Group for continuation during the Sixth Plan period with some suitable modifications to make their scope more broad-based and their implementation more effective. In view of limitation of funds available for the Sixth Plan programmes in the field of Physical Education and Sports it has not been possible to take up any of the new important schemes recommended by the Working Group.
All India Council of Sports The All India Council of Sports, which has been set up by the Government of India to advise it on matters relating to promotion of sports and games, was reconstituted to make it more functional and effective. The 21 member reconstituted Council, with a three year term, now headed by Field Marshal S.H.F.J. Manekshow, consists of 6 sports promoters, 2 sports writers/commentators, 2 educationists, 3 Members of Parliament and 5 representatives of States Sports Councils from different regions. After its reconstitution in July, 1978 the Council has been meeting quite frequently and has so far held 3 meetings and its Executive Committee six meetings.
Society for the National Institutes of Physical Education and
Sports (SNIPES) The Society for the National Institutes of Physical Education and Sports (SNIPES) was set up by the Government of India in 1965, as an autonomous body, to carry on the management and administration of the two national institutes of physical education and sports, namely, the Lakshmibai National College of Physical
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Education, Gwalior and the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala and to take steps for raising standard of games and sports in the country by improving facilities and standards of training and coaching in sports and games. The SNIPES has also been entrusted with advisory functions at national level in matters relating to promotion of physical education and Yoga. The Society was last reconstituted in 1976 for a period of 3 years. Dr. Amrik Singh, Vice Chancellor Punjabi University, took over as Chairman of the Society in June, 1978 vice Shri Sikander Bakht, Union Minister of Works and Housing, Supply and Rehabilitation. During the year the Society held 3 meetings.
A. PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND YOGA
Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education, Gwalior The primary function of the College, which is one of the two national institutes established by the Government of India in the field of Physical Education and Sports, is to produce high calibre leadership in the field of physical education. For the academic session 1978-79, with the admission of 105 students (including 24 women) to the Bachelor of Physical Education Course and 34 (including 4 women) to the 2-year Master Degree Course, the total student- strength in the Regular and Residential Courses at the College was 418 (including 91 women). Besides this, the College admitted 30 students to the first year of its 3-year Master Degree Summer Course in Physical Education for the inservice personnel. The College continues to attract students from all parts of the country including a few from abroad. From the 1979-80 academic year, the College is also planning to introduce M. Phil. Course in physical education. Besides its teacher-training programme, the College also offers extension services and refresher courses for the inservice personnel. Beside these, it continued to implement on agency basis the Central Scheme of National Physical Efficiency Drive and National Prize Competition for published Literature on Physical Education and Sports on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare.
Since its establishment in 1957 till the Academic Year 1977-78, the College has produced 1393 graduates and 319 postgraduates in physical education.
National Physical Efficiency Drive The scheme, which was introduced by the Central Government in 1959 to popularise among the people the concept of
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physical fitness and also to arouse their enthusiasm for higher standards of physical efficiency and achievement, continued to be implemented during the year in collaboration with the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations and certain selected Central agencies. The Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education continued to function as the central agency for the implementation of the scheme.
The 1977-78 National Physical Efficiency Drive for which results have since become available, had a total participation of about 20 lakhs out of which about 6.80 lakhs participants were declared winners. The XVIII All India Competition for National Awards in Physical Efficiency was held at Kolhapur (Maharashtra) from the 28th February to 2nd March, 1978.
On the basis of the data collected by the Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education the revised national norms of physical efficiency for the scheme have since been finalised and the same are proposed to be adopted from the 1979-80 Drive.
Promotion of Yoga The Scheme of promotion of Yoga, as a part of the overall programme of the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare for development of physical education and sports, continued to be implemented during the year. The Kaivalyadham Shreeman Madhav Yoga Mandir Samiti, Lonavala (Poona) continued to get financial assistance for its maintenance and development expenditure as per the approved pattern of the Scheme for its teacher training and research programmes.
B. SPORTS AND GAMES
Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala The Netaji Subbas National Institute of Sports, Patiala established by the Government of India in 1961, along with its South Centre located at Bangalore (established in 1975), has been entrusted with the responsibility of providing high calibre coaches in various sports disciplines and also to implement the National Coaching Scheme through the country-wide net work of Regional Sports Coaching Centres.
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The institute offers following training courses:
(i) 10 month Regular Diploma Course;
(ii) 6 month Condensed Diploma Course
(iii) 6 week Certificate in Sports Course ; and
(iv) Refresher Course for inservice coaches.
For the Academic Session 1978-79, 464 trainees, including 15 foreign trainees, were admitted to the Regular and Condensed courses at Patiala and Bangalore in 17 sports disciplines. Since its inception in 1961 the Institute has so far produced 4021 qualified coaches, including 82 belonging to foreign countries, in various sports disciplines. Besides its regular coaching programme the Institute also organised a Certificate Course in Sports simultaneously at Patiala, Bangalore, Gwalior and Delhi for about 670 teachers and others.
Under the National Coaching Scheme the Institute has now an authorised cadre-strength of 500 coaches out of which 460 are already in positions spread all over the country. The remaining 40 vacant posts are also expected to be filled-up shortly and 50 more coaches are expected to be added to the cadre during 1979-80.
The Institute organised 44 National Coaching Camps during the year mainly to prepare the national teams for participation in the Commonwealth Games as well as the VIII Asian Games held during 1978. The International Olympic Solidiarity Courses in Swimming, Weightlifting, Handball and Archery are expected to be organised by the end of the year 1978-79.
In collaboration with the State Sports Councils and Nehru Yuvak Kendras, the Regional Sports, Coaching Centres of the Institute continued to function at Gauhati, Patna, Madras, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Jullunder, Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Meerut, Bhopal, Gandhi Nagar, Nagpur, Jammu and Srinagar, Imphal, Panaji, Port-Blair, Agartala, Chandigarh, Gangtok, Mandi, Nahan, Calcutta and Lakshawdeep.
During the year 5 coaches of the Institute were sent on foreign assignments to Nigeria, Mauritius and Afghanistan under the Bilateral Cultural Exchange Programmes. Besides these, 4 coaches have been sent abroad for training.
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Grants to State Sports Councils for Promotion of Sports and
Physical Education Grants amounting to about Rs. 30 lakhs were released to the State Sports Councils in States and Union Territories during the year 1978- 79 in consultation with and on the recommendation of the All India Council of Sports. These grants were given for following purposes :-
(i) 8 Coaching Camps at State level;
(ii) establishment/maintenance of 388 Rural Sports Centres ;
(iii) purchase of sports equipment of non-expendable nature worth Rs. 91,000/- ;
(iv) development of 13 Play fields;
(v) (a) Construction/improvement of 28 Stadia;
(b) construction of 2 Swimming Pools.
It has since been decided to enhance the Central assistance in the case of States located in hilly areas to 75 per cent of the approved expenditure on construction of Stadia/Swimming Pools but not exceeding Rs. 2.5 lakhs in each case. In case of other States Central assistance continues to be 50 per cent of the approved expenditure limited to Rs. 1.00 lakh in each case.
Grants to National Sports Federations During 1978-79 grants amounting to Rs. 20.50 lakhs were sanctioned to National Sports Federation for the following purposes :-
(i) Grant of passage cost to 14 National Sports Federations for sending teams abroad for participation in International events.
(ii) Holding of coaching-camps at NSNIS, Patiala/Banga- lore for preparing teams for participation in international sports events abroad like World Cup (Hockey), Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.
(iii) Holding of 58 Annual Championships.
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(iv) Receiving of sports teams from abroad and sending of Indian Sports teams abroad.
(v) Assistance to 16 National Sports Federations for payment of Salary of Paid Assistant Secretaries.
In order to provide better and more nourishing diet to sportsmen/women who undergo coaching at NSNIS, Patiala or under its aegis elsewhere, Government have decided, on the recommendations of All India Council of Sports, to increase the rate of diet money per head per day from Rs. 12/- to Rs. 16/-.
All India Rural Sports Tournament The countrywide programme of Rural Sports tournament has been launched by the Central Government since 1970-71 with the twin object of involving a major segment of our youth in rural areas into the main stream of country's sports activities and also to spot and nurture sports talent. The programme now involves a total annual participation of about 12 lakh rural youth right from the Block level up to the national level.
The 9th All India Rural Sports Tournament was organised during 1978-79 in the following groups :
i. Swimming New Delhi, May, 1978.
ii. Athletics, Hockey Gumla (District Ranchi, Bihar)
and Football October, 1978.
iii. Kabaddi, Kho-Kho Vijawada (Andhra Pradesh),
Wrestling and January, 1979.
Archery
iv. Football, Volleyball, Cuttack (Orissa), February,
and Gymnastics 1979.
WOMEN SPORTS FESTIVAL
IV National Sports Festival for Women, 1979 The National Sports Festival for Women, first organised in 1975 as a part of the celebrations connected with the Inter-
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national Women Year, is now a significant annual feature of the country's sports calendar. It involves at present a participation of about 2,000 young women from all over the country The Festival is organised by the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports on behalf of the Government of India.
The IV National Sports Festival for Women was held at Calcutta from 23rd to 27th January, 1979, in collaboration with the West Bengal State Sports Council. About 1600 Sportswomen hailing from 27 States & Union Territories took part in the Festival in the following sports disciplines:-
Athletics, Basketball. Badminton, Gymnastics, Hockey Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Lawn Tennis, Volleyball and Swimming.
Sports Talent Search Scholarships The Scheme provides for award of scholarships through the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala, to young boys and girls at school stage talented in sports and showing promise and aptitude for sports selected on the basis of sports competitions at State/National Levels. During the year about 400 national-level and 800 state-level fresh scholarships each of the value of Rs. 900/- and Rs. 600/- per annum respectively were awarded to young boys and girls. In addition, about 150 national-level and 300 state-level scholarships awarded in the previous year were also renewed.
National Sports Organisation The Scheme aims at improving the sports standards in colleges and universities and helping the talented sportsmen/sportswomen to achieve excellence. Under the scheme assistance is given through the University Grants Commission, for construction of gymnasia, development of play-grounds etc. in universities and colleges and through the Association of Indian Universities, for award of scholarships annually of the value of Rs. 1,000/per annum per student to outstanding sportsmen/women in college and universities and also for holding coaching camps and sports competitions among universities. During 1978-79, a grant of Rs. 2.95 lakhs has been given to the Association of Indian Universities for sports scholarships, conducting Camps and
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Sports Competitions and of Rs. 15 lakhs to the University Grants Commission for construction and development of playfields and gymnasia etc. in Universities and Colleges under the, Scheme.
With a view to reviewing the functioning of this scheme and also to suggest improvements therein, the All India Council of Sports had set up a committee which has since submitted its report to the Council. The Council hag generally approved the recommendations made by the committee and hag recommended that the Scheme of National Sports Organisation should be implemented through the Association of Indian Universities except the part of the Scheme relating to award of sports scholarships which should be handled by the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports' Patiala who are already implementing the Scheme of Sports Talent Search Scholarships at the school level. The Council hag directed the Committee to work out the estimates of expenditure that would be required in providing each of the 3,000 colleges and each of the 110 or so universities in the country, certain minimum facilities for physical education and sports. After these estimates have been received the game will be examined by Government along with the other recommendations of the Council on the suggestions contained in the Committee's Report.