Khelo India: Largest Beneficiary in Union Budget for Sports Ministry

Khelo India received the largest allocation in the Union Budget for the Sports Ministry, with Rs 900 crore set aside from the total Rs 3,442.32 crore budget. This marks a Rs 20 crore increase from the previous year. The budget for other sports programs and authorities also saw marginal increases.

Khelo India, the government's flagship initiative to promote grassroots sports, emerged as the largest beneficiary in the Union Budget for the Sports Ministry, receiving Rs 900 crore out of the Rs 3,442.32 crore total allocation on Tuesday.

Announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Khelo India's budget is Rs 20 crore higher than the revised allocation of Rs 880 crore in the previous fiscal year. The budget for the entire Sports Ministry saw a modest increase to Rs 3,442.32 crore from the previous Rs 3,396.96 crore.

The government has significantly invested in Khelo India, boosting its funding in recent years. Despite the upcoming Olympic cycle ending in Paris this August, the program's budget was significantly increased in 2023-24 before being revised. New initiatives like the Khelo India University Games and Khelo India Winter Games have been launched since the first Khelo India Youth Games in 2018. The government's support for National Sports Federations and the Sports Authority of India was also slightly increased, as were the budgets for the National Anti-Doping Agency and the National Dope Testing Laboratory.

(With inputs from agencies.)