PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS

         Sports Policy and Programmes        Pending Government approval to the new National Policy on Sports,
                                            recommended by the All India Council of Sports and which is under con-
                                            sideration. with the Ministry in consultation with the State Governments,
                                            National Sports Federations etc., the programme of Government of India
                                            for Promotion of Physical Education and Sports during the year continued
                                            to be implemented within the broad framework of the guidelines laid down
                                            in the National Policy on Education as adopted by Parliament in 1968.
                                            The two-fold objective of the current programme of the Central Govern-
                                            ment is participation in the main stream of internationally current pro-
                                            grammes of physical education and sports simultaneously with the broad-
                                            based mass participation and promotion of country's traditional and indi-
                                            genous activities in this field.  While formulating programmes for promo-
                                            tion of physical education and sports the complementary nature of compe-
                                            titive sports aimed at excellence and high achievement on the one hand and
                                            broad-based mass physical education and sports programmes on the other
                                            have been kept in view.
        
                                                 The salient features of the programme as implemented during the year
                                            at the Central level were as under
        
                                          All India Council of Sports 
        
                                                 The 3-year term of the All India Council of Sports, which has been
                                            set  up by the Government of India to advise it on matters pertaining to
                                            promotion of sports and games and which was last reconstituted for a 3-
                                            year term in July, 1978 under the Chairmanship of Field Marshal 
                                            S. H. F. J. Manekshaw, expired on July 20, 1981.  While reconstitution
                                            of the Council is still under consideration of the Government, the term of
                                            the existing Council was extended for a period of 3-months.  During 1981,
                                            while the Council held two meetings, its Executive Committee met three
                                            times.
        
                                          Society for the National Institutes of Physical Education and Sports 
        
                                                 The Society for the National Institutes of Physical Education and Sports
                                            (SNIPES), set up in 1965, as an autonomous body to look after the main-
                                            tenance and administration of the two national Institutes of Physical Educa-
                                            tion and Sports, namely, the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports
                                            (NSNIS), Patiala and the Lakshmibai National College of Physical Educa-
                                            tion (LNCPE), Gwalior and also to, initiate steps for raising the standards
                                            of sports and games in the country through the National Coaching Scheme
                                            continued to function under the Chairmanship of Dr. Amrik Singh, Secre-
                                            tary of the Association of Indian Universities.  SNIPES also carried out
                                            advisory functions at the national level in matters relating to promotion of
                                            physical education and yoga.
        
                                                 SNIPES was last re-constituted for the 3-year term in June, 1979.
                                            During the year it held 4 Meetings and its Standing Committees also met to
                                            attend to the assignments given to them by SNIPES.
        
                                                             A. PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND YOGA
        
         Lakshmibhai National College of      The primary object of the College, which is one of the two National Ins-
                                             titutes established by the Government of India in the field of Physical
                                             Education and Sports, is to provide facilities for training of high calibre
        

50

physical education teachers for educational institutions and others. During the year, the College continued to discharge its primary responsibility of offering teacher training programmes at the graduate and post-graduate levels. Set up in 1957, the College is celebrating 1981-82 as its Silver Jubilee year. Since its inception the College has produced 1475 graduates and 472 post-graduates in, physical education.

For the academic session 1981-82 with the admission of 114 students to its regular teacher training courses, the total student strength of the College was 370 including 74 women. Besides this programme, the College continued to offer extension services and refresher courses for the in-service personnel, in the field of physical education and sports. Further, it conti- nued to implement on agency basis, the Central programmes like National Physical Fitness Programme, National Prize Competition for the Published Literature on Physical Education and Sports on behalf of the Central Government.

As a part of its extension service programme and in particular in the context of its Silver Jubilee celebrations, some of the, important activities organised by the College during the year were as under :

(i) Two orientation courses, in Physical Education for the elemen- tary school teachers of the tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh.

(ii) 4th Zonal Workshop on Physical Education for College and University teachers of Physical Education.

(iii) Badminton Coaching Camp for junior girls for preparation of IXth Asian Games.

(iv) Silver Jubilee Inter-University Basketball Tournament.

(v) U.G.C. Seminar on "Physical Fitness of University Youth".

(vi) All India Seminar on "Development of Games and Sports for the Handicapped".

(vii) Silver Jubilee Inter-University Volleyball (Women) and Basketball (Men) Tournaments.

(viii) All India Seminar for Directors of Education and Directors of Sports and Youth Welfare on "Problems of Physical Education and Sports for School going and non-school going youths".

(ix) A National Conference for the Principals of Physical Education colleges, and Members of the National Association of Univer- sity Teachers of Physical Education.


               National Physical Fitness                       The Scheme, which was introduced by the Central Government in 1959,
                 Programme                                 to  popularise the concept of physical fitness among the people and also
                                                             to  arouse their enthusiasm for higher' standards of physical fitness and
                                                             achievement, continued to be implemented during the year in collaboration
                                                             with the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations and other
                                                             selected agencies.  The Lakshmibai National College of Physical Educa-
                                                             tion, Gwalior, continued to function as the Central agency for implementa-
                                                             tion of the Scheme.
        
                                                                  The 22nd All India Seminar for the State Liaison Officers connected
                                                             with the implementation of the programme was held at Pachmarhi to review
                                                             the performance of the programme during the previous year and to formu-
                                                             late the proposals for the current year.  The programme was accordingly
                                                             implemented as per the present pattern during 1981-82 with a total parti-
                                                             cipation target of 20 lakhs.
        
                                                                  The 21st All India Competition for National Award in Physical Fitness
                                                             was held at Gwalior in February 1982.  A large number of participants
                                                             from defferent States and Union Territories took part in the competition.
        
                    Promotion of Yoga                         The Scheme, which is a part of the overall programme of Ministry for
                                                             development of physical education and sports continued to be implemented
                                                             during the year as per the existing pattern.  The Kaivalayadhama Shreeman
                                                             Madhava Yoga Mandir Samiti, Lonavala (Pune) continued to be assisted
        

51

        
                
                                                for its maintenance and developmental expenditure for its research and/or
                                                teacher training activities in the field of Yoga.
        
                                                    The recommendations made by a Review Committee which was, set up
                                                to assess the working of the Samiti and to make recommendations with
                                                regard to its projected development during the coming years have since
                                                been accepted by the Government.  These recommendations include inter
                                                alia strengthening of the research and/or teacher training programmes of
                                                the Samiti.
        
           Grants to Physical Education          This Scheme, which has been taken up as an independent Scheme from
             Teacher Training Institutions      1979-80 onwards, provides for financial assistance to physical education.
                                                teacher training institutions, both Government as well as non-Government,
                                                through the State Governments, to cover 50% of the expenditure on specific
                                                projects for improvement of physical facilities in these Institutions like con-
                                                struction of gymnasia, swimming pools, development of play-grounds, and
                                                purchase of library books and sports equipment, subject to the ceiling of
                                                Central Government grants stipulated for each project.  The scheme conti-
                                                nued to be implemented during the year in consultation with SNIPES.  On
                                                the basis of the recommendations made by SNIPES, a revision of the existing
                                                pattern of the financial assistance of the scheme so as to make its nature
                                                and scope more broad-based and its implementation more effective is under
                                                consideration with the Ministry.
        
         Netaji Subhas National                                           B. SPORTS AND GAMES
           Institute of Sports,   
           Patiala and the National                  The Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) Patiala, esta-
           Coaching Scheme                      blished by the Government of India in 1961, along with its Southern Cen-
                                                tre located at Bangalore (established in 1975) has been entrusted with the
                                                responsibility of training high calibre coaches in various sports disciplines
                                                and also to implement, on agency basis, on behalf of the Central Govern-
                                                ment, the National Coaching Scheme through a countrywide network of
                                                Regional Sports Coaching Centres which are being run in collaboration
                                                with the State Sports Councils, State Governments and Nehru  Yuvak
                                                Kendras.  The Institute continued to offer regular and condensed coach-
                                                ing courses in various sports disciplines.  For the academic session 1981-
                                                82, 369 trainee coaches including 25 foreign trainees, were admitted  to the
                                                regular courses at the Institute, in 16 sports disciplines.  Since its  incep-
                                                tion in 1961, the Institute has so far produced 5162 coaches including 130
                                                from foreign countries in different disciplines.
        
                                                    Under the National Coaching Scheme of the Institute 23 Regional
                                                Coaching Centres are functioning all over the country in collaboration with
                                                the State Sports Councils/State Governments.  The National Coaching
                                                Scheme has now a  sanctioned strength of 650 coaches out of which 584
                                                coaches are in position including several international and national cham-
                                                pions, spread all over the country.
        
                                                    Besides its regular coaching programme, the Institute continued to
                                                implement, on agency basis, the Central Programmes of National Sports
                                                Festival for Women, All India Rural Sports Tournaments, Sports Talent
                                                Search Scholarships Scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Education and
                                                Culture.
        
                                                    In the context of India's preparations for the forthcoming IX Asian
                                                Games, the Institute has been entrusted with the job of training the national
                                                teams for their participation in the Games and also for importing sports
                                                equipment for use in training for and in competitions for the Games.  The
                                                Institute has also requisitioned the services of foreign coaches for the pre-
                                                paration of Indian teams for the Games.  The Institute has also been ren-
                                                dering technical assistance to the Special Organising Committee of the
                                                Asian Games in various matters pertaining to India's preparations for the
                                                Games.
        
                                                    During the year some of the important activities undertaken by the
                                                Institute are as under :-
        

52

        
                
                                                                   (i) 120 National Coaching Camps particularly to prepare teams
                                                                        for participation in the IX Asian Games.
        
                                                                   (ii) International Olympic Solidarity Courses for the benefit of
                                                                        Indian coaches in Swimming and Wrestling.
        
                                                                   (iii)  Asian Clinic in Wrestling.
        
                                                             Consequent upon Government approval to the construction of the new
                                                         complex of the South Centre of the Institute at Bangalore at a total  esti-
                                                         mated cost of Rs. 2.5 crores, construction programme of the new complex
                                                         is being formally started.  The Eastern Centre of the Institute at Calcutta
                                                         is also likely to start functioning shortly.
        
              Grants to State Sport Councils               In consultation with, and on the recommendation of the All India Coun-
                Promotion of Sports                      cil of Sports, financial assistance under the Scheme, as per the approved
                                                         pattern and in accordance with the order of priority laid down by the Coun-
                                                         cil, was released to the State Sports Councils in States and Union Territo-
                                                         ries during    the year for development of following facilities
        
                                                                   (i) Organisation of State level coaching camps;
        
                                                                   (ii)   Maintenance of existing Rural Sports Centres and establishment
                                                                        of new Centres;
        
                                                                   (iii)  Financial assistance for purchase of sports equipment;
        
                                                                   (iv)  Development of play-fields;
        
                                                                   (v)  Construction of stadia; and
        
                                                                   (vi)  Construction of swimming pools.
        
                 National Sports Organisation            The Scheme, which is being implemented through the University Grants
                                                         Commission, Association of Indian Universities and the Netaji Subhas
                                                         National Institute of Sports, aims at improving sports standards among
                                                         college and university students and helping the talented sportsmen and
                                                         women to achieve excellence in their respective sports disciplines.  Whereas
                                                         financial assistance is given through the University Grants Commission for
                                                         construction of Gymnasia, development of play-fields etc. in colleges and
                                                         universities, the Association of Indian.  Universities has been entrusted with
                                                         the job Of organising coaching-cum-sports competitions among the college
                                                         and university students.  Similarly, 100 scholarships annually of the value
                                                         of Rs. 1200 per annum per student are' being awarded through the Netaji
                                                         Subhas National Institute of Sports to outstanding College and University
                                                         sportsmen and women.
        
                Grants to National Sports                  The National Sports Federations./Associations are autonomous bodies
                  Federations/Associations               engaged in the promotion of sports and game' in general and their compe-
                                                         titive aspect in particular.  During the year National Sports Federations/
                                                         Associations continued to be assisted for various purposes viz. (i) Grant
                                                         of passage cost to National Sports Federations for deputing teams abroad
                                                         for participation in international fixtures; (ii) Holding of National Coaching
                                                         Camps for preparing national teams for their participation in international
                                                         events; (iii) Holding of Annual Coaching Camps; (iv) Receiving sports teams
                                                         from abroad and sending Indian teams abroad.
        
                All India Rural Sports                     The country-wide programme of Rural Sports Tournaments was launch-
                  Tournaments                            ed  by the Central Government in 1970-71 with the twin object of involv-
                                                         ing  a major segment of our youth in rural areas into the main stream of the
                                                         country's sports activities and also to spot and nurture sports talent.  The
                                                         programme at present involves an annual participation of about 15 lakhs
                                                         rural youth right from the block level up to, the National level.  The pro-
                                                         gramme is being organised, by the Netaji Subhas National Institute  of
                                                         Sports, on agency basis, on behalf of the Government.