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From the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, the Prime Minister announced a nationwide sporting talent hunt covering children aged 5 to 15 in villages, cities and schools, with specialised training for those identified.
The rationale given was blunt: the Olympic programme spans roughly 40 sports and 325-350 events, and India does not participate or qualify in nearly two-thirds of them.
India is positioning itself as a strong contender to host the 2036 Olympic Games, having already been confirmed as host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Free online coaching for competitive examinations was announced, to be built by combining Digital Public Infrastructure with existing teachers and talent, citing the cost burden of private coaching on middle-class families.
The address renewed the call for a Nasha Mukt Bharat as a collective responsibility, referring to the 100-week campaign run through MY Bharat volunteers, NGOs and community organisations.
Identify and fund elite athletes with a realistic chance of an Olympic podium finish.
Key: An initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports launched in September 2014, initially aimed at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games. Athletes are selected by the TOPS Elite Athletes' Identification Committee and receive customised training, foreign exposure, equipment and a monthly out-of-pocket allowance. TOPS supports athletes already near the top; the newly announced talent hunt is the opposite end of the pipeline.
Broaden the base of the sporting pyramid through school and university competition, infrastructure and grassroots talent identification.
Key: Launched in 2018 under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It now runs several distinct competition tiers referred to in the address — the Khelo India Youth Games, University Games, Winter Games, Para Games and Beach Games — alongside Khelo India Centres and State Centres of Excellence.
Provide a single technology platform connecting young Indians to volunteering, experiential learning and mentorship.
Key: An autonomous body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, launched on 31 October 2023 — National Unity Day, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It serves the 15-29 age group and is the delivery channel named for the 100-week Nasha Mukt Bharat campaign.
Reduce substance abuse through mass awareness, community outreach and treatment linkage.
Key: Launched on 15 August 2020 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 272 districts identified as most vulnerable, using the National Survey on Substance Use and inputs from the Narcotics Control Bureau. On 15 August 2023 it was extended to all districts of the country.
Incentivise formal job creation and first-time formal employment, with an emphasis on manufacturing.
Key: The employment-linked incentive scheme approved by the Union Cabinet on 1 July 2025 with an outlay of ₹99,446 crore, targeting more than 3.5 crore jobs. First-time employees registered with the EPFO receive an incentive equal to one month's EPF wage, capped at ₹15,000 and paid in two instalments — the second conditional on completing a financial literacy programme — while employers receive up to ₹3,000 a month per additional hire, for two years and up to four for manufacturing. Incentives apply to jobs created in the registration window running from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2027.
The Government's principal sports promotion body — it runs national centres of excellence, training schemes and talent development programmes, and delivers Khelo India and TOPS on the ground.
Statutory authority created by the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 to grant recognition to National Sports Federations and monitor their compliance with governance, financial and ethical standards.
Statutory tribunal under the same Act for adjudicating sports governance disputes, including selection and federation elections, that previously went to civil courts.
Awards the Olympic Games. Since the 2019 reform, hosts are no longer chosen by an open bidding contest but through a Future Host Commission that engages interested parties in 'Continuous Dialogue' and then 'Targeted Dialogue' before an IOC Session vote.
| Aspect | TOPS | Khelo India | Announced Talent Hunt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | September 2014 | 2018 | Announced 15 August 2026 |
| Stage of the pyramid | Elite athletes with podium potential | Grassroots to university-level competition and infrastructure | Initial identification of untrained children |
| Target group | Selected elite athletes across Olympic disciplines | School, youth, university, winter, para and beach athletes | Children aged 5 to 15 in villages, cities and schools |
| Core instrument | Customised training, foreign exposure, equipment, monthly allowance | Games tiers, Khelo India Centres, State Centres of Excellence | Nationwide screening followed by specialised training |
| Ministry | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports |
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Sports schemes and hosting rights are a staple of SSC and Railway general awareness and appear in UPSC Prelims through the scheme-to-ministry pairing.
The first, open-ended phase of the IOC's post-2019 host election process, during which the Future Host Commission engages interested National Olympic Committees before any targeted proposal stage.
The body that selects athletes for support under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme.
A subsidy paid on the creation of a formal job rather than on capital investment; the design principle behind PM-VBRY.
The Youth, University, Winter, Para and Beach Games run under the Khelo India programme.