Access to playfields mandatory for schools, says govt

NEW DELHI: Access to playfields and engagement of physical education instructor has been made a mandatory requirement for all schools under the Right to Education Act, government told the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel said that the government recognises the role of sports and physical education in the holistic development of children and youth in the country. "As part of this policy, the government has made access to playfields and engagement of physical education instructor a mandatory requirement for all schools under the Right to Education Act," he said.

The Minister said the CBSE places special importance on coscholastic areas which includes sports and physical fitness and it is expected that the state education boards would also emulate the CBSE example in due course. Goel said a scheme called 'Khelo India - National Programme for Development of Sports' is being implemented by the Sports Ministry as a central sector scheme from the current financial (2016-17).

The scheme provides for holding of annual sports competitions in two age groups — under-14 and under-17 — all over the country to encourage participation of both boys and girls in both urban and rural areas and identification of talent through competitions and creation of sports infrastructure facilities, he said.