 PHYSICAL EDUCATION, GAMES, SPORTS AND YOUTH WELFARE

A number of important Central schemes are being implemented by the Ministry of Education in the field of physical education, games and sports and youth welfare. A brief review of the progress of the schemes during the year under review is given in the paragraphs that follow.

A. PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Under physical education, the schemes taken up by the Ministry of Education during the Second Plan include: (1) the establishment of a national college of physical education; (2) the strengthening of the physical education training institutions; (3) the organisation of the national physical efficiency drive; (4) grants-in-aid to vyayamshalas; (5) research and specialisation in physical education and yoga; and (6) coordination of programmes and training of Personnel through holding seminars, etc.

2. The Lakshmibai College of Physical Education.

-The Lakshmibai College of Physical Education was set up at Gwalior in 1957 as a national institution which would provide training facilities for a three-year degree course in physical education. Its management is entrusted to a Board of Governors of which five members, including the Chairman, are nominees of the Government. The Deputy Financial Adviser to the Ministry of Education, besides being a member of the Board, also acts as a financial adviser to the Board. The audit of the accounts of the college has been entrusted to the Auditor-General of India. The Government of India meets all the expenditure of the college.

Originally, it was planned that all the college buildings would be completed by 1960-61. Due to certain procedural difficulties, however, it will not be possible to achieve the target and the scheme is, therefore, being carried forward to the Third Plan. The first batch of graduates of physical education came out of the college in 1960. Out of the students who passed, all but two, have already been employed in suitable posts. Although meant to be coeducational, it has not been possible, so far, to admit women students due to lack of adequate facilities. It is, however, proposed to admit women students from the academic session of 1961-62.

3.Strengthening of Physical Education Training Institutions.-

In accordance with the recommendations of the Central Advisory Board of

Physical Education and Recreation, financial assistance under the Scheme was to be made available to physical education training institutions only after the Regional Visiting Committees set up by the Government of India completed their on-the-spot study of the institutions concerned and made recommendations in respect of their financial requirements for developmental programmes. Accordingly, three Regional Visiting Committees were set up and they have completed the on-the-spot assessment of the needs of physical education training institutions and their recommendations have now been taken up for implementation.

The Scheme is being continued in the Third Plan. In view of the limitation of funds, however, the pattern of assistance under the Scheme has been revised so as to limit its scope to non-governmental physical education training institutions which have not received assistance from any other source and whose effective functioning is being handicapped, for lack. of funds.

4.National Physical Efficiency Drive.

-The National Physical Efficiency Drive based on precise and carefully graded physical fitness tests was launched by the Government of India during 1959-60 through the agency of the State Governments for activating interest in physical fitness throughout the country and for arousing the enthusiasm of the people, for higher standards of physical efficiency and achievement.

During the first Year of the 'Drive', 400 testing centres were sanctioned by the Government of India for the country as a whole. Although detailed reports from a number of State Governments are still awaited the 'Drive' is reported to have made a fairly successful start.

In the light of the experience gained so far, the Government of India are considering measures for expanding the scope and coverage of the 'Drive'. In accordance with the revised policy, the State Governments have been requested to set up testing centres in at least all educational institutions of the level of High or Higher Secondary schools and above where adequate facilities for conducting, the tests are available. In order to bring in the non-student youth also, it has been suggested to the State Governments to enlist the cooperation of the vyayamshalas, akharas, sports, clubs, recreation centres and important commercial and industrial houses. It has also been emphasised that the National Physical Efficiency Drive is designed for implementation as a continuous process and has, therefore, to be transformed into a movement sustained by vigorous action.

In order to give wider publicity to the 'Drive' the Government of India have brought out illustrated brochure and four-page folders. Posters on the Drive are under print. A documentary film on the 'Drive is also being prepared.

In view of the fact, that the testing centres are to be set up henceforth at institutions where adequate facilities for conducting the tests will already be available, the Government of India have also decided to discontinue the practice of paying grants to the State Governments at Rs.300 per testing centre set up under the 'Drive'.

5.Grants to Vyayamshalas.

-The scope of financial assistance under this scheme is still restricted to cover 75 per cent of the expenditure on the purchase of equipment and/or library books, and grants are paid only on the specific recommendations of the State Governments. It has been decided to transfer this Scheme to the States sector during the Third Plan.

6.Scholarships for Specialisation in Physical Education.

-The Scheme provides for the award of four scholarships for specialisation in certain selected indigenous physical education activities. The amount of each scholarship is Rs. 200 per mensem and it is tenable for one year. The Research Sub-Committee of the Central Advisory Board of Physical Education and Recreation has recommended three candidates for the award of scholarships during 1960-61 for yoga, wrestling and folk dances. The Scheme has been included in the Third Plan. The Central Advisory Board of Physical Education and Recreation has recommended that the number of these scholarships may be increased to eight and that the list of activities may also be enlarged so as to include some of the activities like football, hockey, gymnastics etc.

7.Promotion of Yoga.

-Financial assistance under this Scheme has continued to be given to the Kaivalayadham Shreeman Madhava Yoga Mandir Samiti, Lonavla (Ponna), for the promotion of yogic research. The Government of India have recently appointed a Committee of Medical Experts to evaluate the therapeutical claims of the yogic practices and to recommend measures for the scientific development of the yogic institutions.

8.Seminars on Physical Education.

-The reports of the first two All India Seminars organised by the Government of India during 1958-59 for the (i) Principals of Physical Education Training Institutions, and (ii) State Inspectors and University Directors of Physical Education have been published and circulated among the State Governments/universities/physical education training institutions with the request that the recommendations contained therein may be implemented as far as possible. The report of the Third All-India Seminar organised at Bangalore in October 1959 for the Experts And Organisers of Indigenous Physical Education Activities is under finalisation. The Scheme has been included in the Third Plan and at least two all-India seminars are proposed to be organised in 1961-62.

B.GAMES AND SPORTS

9.Under games and sports, the schemes taken up by the Ministry of Education during the Second Plan include: (1) the establishment of a National Institute of Sports at Patiala; (2) the organisation of a national coaching scheme; (3) grants-in-aid to sports federations; (4) construction of stadia; and (5) assistance to State Governments for acquisition of play-fields,supply of sports equipment to schools and development of sports in rural areas.

10. The National Institute of Sports.

-The National Institute of Sports has been set up at Patiala with the primary object of producing first class coaches by giving them training in the method and technique of the games/sports concerned. It is intended that these coaches, after successful completion of their training at the Institute should work at the national and State levels with a view to giving coaching to the students in various schools and colleges to improve the standard of sports and games in the country. To achieve this end, it has been decided to avail of the services of foreign instructors. To begin with, there will be short ad hoc training course ranging between six months and one year for the trained coaches available in the country. The exact duration of the course shall be determined in consultation with the foreign experts keeping in view the qualification and standing of each individual in the field of sports. The regular courses will be for a period of three years. It is proposed that the students admitted to these courses will be given free tuition and free lodging and that they will have to pay boarding only.

11. During the year, an autonomous Board of Governors under the Chairmanship of the Education Secretary has been set up to govern the Institute. Negotiations are now being carried on for the recruitment of foreign coaches. Some of these coaches are expected to join shortly and with their help, the short ad hoc course for which applications have already been invited, will commence some time in February, 1961.

12. National Coaching Scheme.

-A broad-based National Coaching Scheme is proposed to be brought into existence after the National Institute of Sports has started working and qualified coaches become available. In the meanwhile, the Rajkumari Coaching Scheme continues to function and provides necessary facilities for training athletes and sportsmen in athletics., tennis, cricket, hockey, football, etc. The total number of coaches employed at present is 79.

13. Assistance to Sports Federations/Associations.

-Under this scheme grants are paid to national sports federations/associations in different States which serve as key bodies for the promotion of sports and games in the country. So far 30 federations have been given assistance for

holding coaching camps, purchase of sports equipment, appointment of assistant secretaries and to invite foreign teams to visit India to encourage sports and games. A few federations utilised the grants given on sending Indian teams abroad.

14. Construction of Stadia.

-To provide adequate facilities for sportsmen for training in sporting events, grants were given for the construction of stadia at Bangalore, Jalpaiguri, Gauhati and Jamshedpur. It has since been decided to confine the scheme for the construction of utility stadia at a cost of about Rs. 50,000 each, the Central Government's contribution being 50 per cent of the total amount.

15. Assistance to State Governments for the Acquisition of Play-fields, Supply of Sports Equipment to Schools and Development of Sports in Rural Areas.

-As shortage of play-fields had been an impediment in the way of progress of sports and games, it was considered necessary to give grants to enable educational institutions to acquire lands to be turned into play-fields adjoining their institutions at a Cost not exceeding Rs. 5,000 in each case. With the help of these grants the State Governments have been helping educational institutions to provide this major facility for sports and games. Funds are also placed at the disposal of the State Governments for the purchase of sports equipment by schools and also for the popularisation of sports and games in rural areas, by holding tournaments, sports festivals, sports weeks and giving help for the promotion of indigenous games. These schemes have been transferred to the States sector under the Third Plan.

16.Olympic Games.

-India participated in the following sports and games held at the XVII Olympiad at Rome which was the major event of the year: Athletics, Hockey, Football, Wrestling, Weight- lifting, and Shooting.

C.LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICE SCHEME

17. The Labour and Social Service Scheme was first started in 1953-54 and has been continued in the Second Plan with a provision of Rs. 280 lakhs. The scheme is divided into two parts- (i) Labour and Social Service Camps for Students and other Youths; and (ii) Campus Work Projects in Universities and Educational Institutions.

18. Labour and Social Service Camps.

-The object of the Labour and Social Service Camps is to inculcate a sense of dignity of manual labour among the students and other youths and give them an opportunity to get into contact with village life and conditions and to offer shramdan for the improvement of amenities in the rural areas. The campers are largely drawn from the colleges and schools, and camps of the duration 10-30 days are held in the rural areas. Each camper is expected to put in about four hours of shramdan every day. The Government grant

for the camps is restricted to Rs. 1.75 per camper per day for meeting food and incidental expenses, and travelling expenses are also payable to students, teachers/instructors and visiting instructors at the prescribed rates. On an average, about 1,350 camps a year have been held during the Second Plan period. During the current year, the Ministry has so far sanctioned the holding of 1,533 camps in which 1.34 lakh campers participated.

19. Campus Work Projects.

--The purpose of this scheme is to provide the much needed amenities like recreation hall-cum- auditorium swimming pool, gymnasium, open-air theatre, pavilion, small stadium for spectators around the sports arena and cinder track. One of the conditions for giving the grant is that the staff and students of the educational institutions should render skilled/unskilled labour on the project and the institutions have also to contribute 25 per cent or more of the actual expenditure on the project excluding the cost of voluntary labour. Since 1956-57, a total of 517 projects involving an expenditure of Rs. 100.35 lakhs were sanctioned. During the period under review, 119 new projects, viz., three swimming pools, two open-air theatres, seven stadia, four pavilions, ninety recreation halls-cum-auditoria, twelve gymnasia and one cinder track were approved.

D.YOUTH WELFARE

20. The main objects in organising youth welfare programmes in this group of Central schemes are two: (1) the promotion of inter- State understanding and development of a spirit of nationhood in the youth of the country; and (2) to expand welfare services to young boys and girls who are not attending any educational institutions. In the programmes undertaken under this scheme, therefore, an attempt is made. whenever possible, to mix persons from different States and also to mix youths attending and not attending schools.

21. Youth Festivals.

-An important programme organised under this scheme was to hold youth festivals on inter-collegiate or inter-university basis. The vice-chancellors of universities recommended in their Conference held in June 1960, that inter- university youth festivals should not be held on an elaborate scale. The Government of India accepted this suggestion and the organisation of the festival for 1960-61 was dropped, and proposals to organise it on a more modest scale are under consideration. For the organisation of inter-collegiate youth festivals, grants are given to individual universities on the basis of 50 per cent of the expenditure incurred. subject to a maximum of Rs. 5,000. During the year under review, eight universities Were assisted under this scheme.

22. Youth Leadership Training and Youth Welfare Boards and Committees.

-Under this scheme, the Ministry of Education organised camps-one at Lovedale, Nilgiris (June 1960), one at Varanasi (October

1960) and one at Mahabaleshwar (December 1960). The object of these camps was to give short term training to teachers of universities and colleges in the techniques of conducting youth welfare activities in educational institutions. 80 college teachers availed themselves of the facilities of training given in the camps.

The Ministry of Education also gives assistance, on a 50 per cent basis,to universities to set up Youth Welfare Boards/Committees. During the year under review, five universities were assisted under this scheme.

23. Student Tours.

-The object of this scheme is to offer financial assistance to batches of students for visiting places of historical interest, scenic beauty or architectural grandeur. The assistance is given through the State Governments who distribute funds to the educational institutions tinder their respective territorial jurisdiction and the Ministry of Education sanctions grants direct to the educational institutions in the Union Territories. The scheme has been very popular.

24. National Youth Centre and Youth Hostels.

-The Youth Hostels Association of India is given a grant-in-aid for its administrative expenditure and assistance is also given for the construction of Youth hostels at suitable places. There is also a proposal to set up a National Youth Centre at the Ridge, near Talkatora Gardens, New Delhi.

25. Clubs and Centres for Non-Student Youth.

-Under this scheme, registered clubs or centres devoted to the welfare of the Youth who do not attend schools are given grant-in-aid for the purchase of equipment, etc. on a 50 per cent basis, subject to a maximum of Rs. 5,000. A number of proposals have been received and are under consideration.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION, GAMES, SPORTS AND YOUTH WELFARE