Stipend of Rs 50,000 per month to be paid to elite athletes

NEW DELHI: The Olympic Task Force has recommended that stipend of Rs 50,000 per month be paid to the elite athletes preparing for Tokyo Olympic, Asian Games or Common Wealth Games to meet pocket expenses.

The Government, accepting the recommendation, today took decision to give stipend of Rs 50,000 per month. The Government has selected 152elites under TOP scheme. All the athletes will get benefit from this decision. The stipend will be paid with effect from 1st September, 2017.

 This decision was announced by the Minister of State (I/C) youth affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore (Retd.) on social media platform as follows:

Rajyavardhan Rathore on Twitter: "MYAS @IndiaSports announces Rs 50k/month pocket allowance for 152 elite athletes preparing for Tokyo/CWG/Asian Games. Athletes first, always!"

Rajyavardhan Rathore on Twitter: "The allowance applies wef 1 Sep 2017 & is purely for pocket expenses of elite athletes. Committed to providing all resources to our champions"

Further, Government is getting in touch with all the athletes selected under TOP to get training & competition exposure plan and any further assistance required for preparation of prestigious competitions.

Press release

Union Sports Ministers Jitendra Singh meets IOC member Randhir Singh

New Delhi, April 17, 2013: Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Jitendra Singh met the IOC member Randhir Singh on the matter of the dispute between IOC and IOA.

During the meeting, a large number of issues were discussed and a common consensus approach was arrived at. This will be discussed with all stakeholders and the Ministry hopes that India will be able to put up a common front in the meeting with IOC at Lausanne.

Come and play scheme launched nationwide

New Delhi, October 9, 2011: Union Minister for Social Justices and Empowerment, Mukul Wasnik today launched the nationwide “Come & Play Scheme”. Aimed at opening the SAI sporting infrastructure for sports loving citizen apart from dedicated sportspersons, the scheme would ensure access to more than 80 SAI facilities, spread across the length and breadth of the country. The function held at MDC National Stadium was presided over by the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Ajay Maken.

As a part of the legacy utilization plan of the newly created sports infrastructure in the capital, the ‘COME AND PLAY’ Scheme was initiated by Ajay Maken at various Sports Authority of India (SAI) stadium complexes in New Delhi, on April 15, 2011. The scheme envisages opening up of the SAI stadiums in the city for use by school children, students, sports person as also the common people. The response to the scheme has been encouraging and has attracted around 12,000 of sports enthusiasts.

The objective of the scheme is essentially to impart coaching, primarily to beginners, not only to broad base sports but for optimum utilization of the facilities available.

Considering the success of the scheme in Delhi, Maken directed SAI authorities to replicate in all the SAI regional centres / sub-centres / institutions, STCs & SAG centres. It was in this background that the scheme was launched nationwide by Mukul Wasnik, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment and Maken here today. On the occasion, the theme song and a booklet on “Come & Play Scheme” was also released.

Press release

Sports Ministry complies National Sports Development Code of India-2011

New Delhi, February 1, 2011: Union Minister of State (Independent Charges) for Youth Affairs and Sports Ajay Maken on Tuesday released the National Sports Development Code, 2011 compiled by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

While releasing the Code at a Press conference here, he said this compilation contains all guidelines issued by the Government of India from time to time to promote good governance in the management of sports development, including sporting excellence, in the country. Toward this end, the Government had issued comprehensive guidelines in the past in 1975, 1988, 1997 and 2001 in pursuance of successive National Sports Policies, he added. Shri Maken said that this Code will be published in Gazette of India so that all National Sports Federations can follow it.

Post 2001 guidelines several major initiatives have been taken by the Government, which include declaration of National Sports Federations (NSFs) availing of government grant as a public authorities under the Right to Information Act, 2005; implementation of age and tenure limit in respect of office bearers of NSFs; notification and implementation of NADA Anti-Doping Rules; introduction of guidelines for prevention of age fraud in sports, and guidelines for holding fair and transparent elections to NSFs.

The guidelines are aimed at promoting good governance among NSFs as a means to strengthening their autonomy for discharging their functions and duties in accordance with the Olympic Charter and the basic principles and rules that govern the Olympic movement, and in the interest of sports development at large and the athletes’ welfare in particular.

It is noted with satisfaction that a large number of federations have already adopted or communicated their intent to adopt the good governance principles communicated by the Government from time to time. These include federations responsible for major sports disciplines such as athletics, badminton, boxing, golf, hockey, gymnastics, rowing, shooting, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting and yachting.

Since the primary intent of the National Sports Development Code is developmental in nature, the scales of the assistance for preparation of national teams up to 2012 London Olympic have been kept at the same level that was adopted for 2010 CWG. Further, with a view to expediting the approval of proposals from and release of funds to NSFs, certain functions have been delegated to SAI. Further, the need for specialization in the coaching department, including need for scientific support, has been duly recognized by allowing need-based deployment of such personnel. The anomaly that was earlier prevalent wherein the monthly remuneration to national coaches of non-CWG disciplines was Rs.15,000/- as compared to Rs.50,000 for CWG disciplines has been removed by raising the monthly remuneration of national coaches across all disciplines to Rs.50,000. Further, deployment of Assistant Coaches on a need-based manner has also been allowed.

With a view to also supporting sports development activities undertaken by sports bodies other than NSFs, a provision has been made to enable government support tournaments and other activities promoted by such organizations.

Recognizing the importance of school and university sport, it has been decided to have special long terms plans for the federations dealing with school sports and university sports.

In order to have a long term focus on promotion of sports excellence, it has been decided to henceforth put in place a long-term plan for two Olympic cycle at a time, which would be subject to annual review. This would enable us to concentrate on both active national teams and the feeder level.

With a view to eradicating cheating in sports, detailed guidelines have been prescribed for preventing doping in sports and preventing age fraud in sports.

Provision has been made for supporting exchange programmes in order to strengthen international cooperation between India and other countries in the field of sports. Efforts will be made to enter into MoUs and agreements with a number of countries on mutual beneficial agenda.

The compilation of all existing instructions in the form of a single National Sports Development Code will enable better compliance with the basic universal principles of good governance in sports, which would, in turn promote a strong sporting culture and sports excellence in the country.

Source: Union Sports Ministry Press release

Union Government to frame National Sports Development Legislation soon: Maken

New Delhi, February 1, 2011: Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Ajay Maken on Tuesday announced that the Government had decided to frame a National Sports Development Legislation soon in the larger interest of Indian sports.

Explaining the roadmap of comprehensive sports legislation in a Press conference, he said that the Ministry would put on its website the draft Bill on February 20 and would invite suggestions from the stakeholders and public for one month before taking it forward.

He said that the proposed comprehensive legislation would be widely based and would incorporate essences of basic universal principles of good governance (BUPOGG), the IOC Charter, good international legislative practices, anti doping Laws, measures against sexual harassment, and age fraud detection.

Elaborating on each of the six parameters, Maken said,

1. Some of the core principles enunciated in the BUPOGG as adopted by the XIII Olympic Congress of the Olympic and Sports Movements include,

· Elections to sports bodies should be governed by clear, transparent and fair rules (including a clean electoral roll, an independent returning Officer and secret ballot)

· Adequate procedural regulations must exist to ensure there is no conflict of interests

· The term of office should be of limited duration, in order to allow renewal of office bearers on a regular basis

· Co-operation, coordination and consultation with governments to preserve autonomy

· The resolution passed by the XIII Congress also underlines the essentiality of athletes’ involvement in decision making with full voting rights.

2. The IOC charter in its Chapter 16, Rule 3.3, Chapter 19, rule 2.1, 2.2 and Rule2.3, Chapter 20, Rule 1 and Chapter 28, Rule 5 clearly lays down as such;

· Any IOC member ceases to be a member at the end of the calendar year during which he reaches the age of 70 (CH.16, 3.3)

· All members of the IOC Executive Board are elected by the sessions in a secret ballot bya majority of votes cast.((19.2.1)

· A member may serve for a maximum of two successive terms on IOC Executive Board regardless to the capacity to which he has been elected. (CH.19, 2.2)

· In case a member has completed two successive terms, he may be elected again after a minimum period of two years.(19.2.3)

· The President is elected by secret ballot from among members for a term of eight years, renewable once for four years. (20.1)

· In order to fulfill their mission the National Olympic Committees may cooperate with governmental bodies with which they shall achieve harmonious relations. However, they shall not associate themselves with any activity which would be in contradiction with the Olympic charter. (28.1)

3. Existing Legislations in other countries can serve as good examples for drawing out prevalent best practices. A case in point in this regard would be the Ted Stevens Olympic Amateur Act of 1978 enacted by the USA, it provides for;

· Reservation of 20% membership and voting rights for amateur athletes who are actively involved in the sport and have represented the USA in the past 10 years

· Requirement of issuing public notifications inviting objections prior to making any alterations in its constitutions and by laws.

4. Anti Doping law shall be in compliance with WADA. The fact that nearly 139 countries are signatories to the International UNESCO Convention against Doping in Sport is in self a reflection of the fact that Sport/ Sports Administrators can no longer claim isolation from scrutiny.

As a signatory to the UNESCO convention, India has shown highest commitment to movement against doping. It is a member of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and has constituted its own National anti Doping Agency (NADA) on the lines of WADA.

5. Measures against sexual harassment would aim at ensuring that the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court judgment in the Vishakha Vs State of Rajasthan are implemented and taken into prospective while contemplating protection of women in sports from sexual harassment.

6. Fool proof guidelines for Age fraud detection need to be formulated and put forth as binding legislation.

Source: A Union Sports Ministry Press Release