CBSE To Add Sports In Its Curriculum, Nurture Young Talent: Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju

On Tuesday, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (independent-in-charge) Kiren Rijiju said that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) was preparing a system to ensure sports becomes an imperative part of the Indian education system. It will most likely be used as one of the many evaluators to determine the achievement of a student in a school year.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already announced the setting up of a Board for Sports Education. Now, under the new education policy, sports will become a part of education and the CBSE is preparing a system to ensure sports becomes a substantial part of education,” Rijiju said.

He said this after inaugurating the Dr N P V Ramaswamy Udayar Hockey Centre at Sri Ramachandra Medical College and University in Chennai.

He said the decision to induct sports in the new education system was made because it has been treated as an extra-curricular activity and ignored for too long.

“Earlier, sports was treated as extra-curricular activities. Sports was not part of education system and it was treated as an extra,” Rijiju said.

Under the new initiative, the Minister said that the CBSE was preparing a system so that sports would not be treated as an extra option.

Talking to reporters, he said his Ministry was in touch with Human Resources Development Ministry for the same.

“I have already attended the cabinet meeting and I have spoken there. Now, the idea is under process. The idea of the policy has been accepted – how to implement, when to start, will depend on the preparation.

“Modi government is treating sports as an important priority and we believe that through this initiative, India will become a sporting powerhouse in future,” he said.

With the Tokyo Olympics just 10 months away, the Sports Ministry is happy with the preparations being made. To ensure better performance in the future at the Olympics, this step is crucial as newer talents can be discovered and nurtured at a tender age.

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