Union Minister for Human Resource Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has informed that Department of School Education and Literacy has launched an Integrated Scheme for School Education-Samagra Shiksha, subsuming three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan(RMSA) and Teacher education (TE) with effect from 1st April, 2018. The new integrated scheme envisages school education as a continuum from pre-school to senior secondary level and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels. The scheme includes the Sports and Physical Education component under which provision for grants for sports equipment for indoor and outdoor games in all government schools has been made.
Realizing the need for holistic development of children, under the Samagra Shiksha, Sports and Physical Education component has been introduced for the first time for encouragement of Sports, Physical activities, Yoga, Co-curricular activities etc. A provision has been made for Government schools for grant for sports equipments at the rate of Rs. 5000 for Primary Schools, Rs. 10,000 for upper primary schools and up to Rs. 25,000 for secondary and senior secondary schools per annum. In the year 2018-19, an outlay of Rs. 506.90 crore was approved under sports grant for 894307 government schools.
Ministry has issued guidelines vide letter 24.12.2018 to States and UTs to ensure proper utilization of sports grant. These guidelines include an indicative list of age appropriate sports equipments for government schools. Sport specific equipments may also be chosen by the schools, based on availability of infrastructure in the school including availability of playfield etc. States and UTs have been advised to encourage schools to include traditional/regional games of the respective State/Region. One responsible person/Physical Education Teacher (PET)/Teacher in charge in every school is to be given the responsibility to take care of the sports equipments and to maintain their stock position.
As per the National Curriculum Framework, 2005, Health and Physical Education is a Compulsory subject from Class I to X. In this regard, NCERT has brought out material for Class VI, VII and VIII as Teachers Guide and for Class IX Textbooks on Health and Physical Education. In addition, Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) has introduced a streamlined and well designed Health and Physical Education (HPE) Program to mainstream health and physical education in schools for students of class IX- XII. The schools have been directed to reserve one period per day for HPE/ sports. This program is compulsory for all affiliated schools of CBSE.