Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday praised India's athletes, especially the Chess Grand Masters, in her interim budget 2024-25 speech in the Parliament but she did not specify how much funds the government will be allocating to the sports sector in this financial year.
Therefore, it can be safely assumed that the government has made no substantial change in the Sports budget of 2024-25.
"The country is proud of our youth scaling new heights in sports. The highest-ever medal tally in Asian Games and Asian Para games in 2023 reflects a high confidence level.
"Chess prodigy and our no.1 ranked player Praggnanandhaa up a stiff fight against the reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen in 2023. Today, India has over 80 Chess Grandmasters compared to a little over 20 in 2010," Sitharaman said in her shortest-ever budget speech in the Parliament.
Record Funding for Youth Affairs and Sports in FY23
In the preceding fiscal year (2023-24), the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports received a record allocation of ₹3,397.32 crore, marking the highest-ever funds released since the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The Department of Sports saw a significant increase, with ₹2,462.59 crore allotted, compared to ₹2,254 crore in the previous year. The Department of Youth Affairs also received a notable share of ₹934.73 crore, up from ₹808.60 crore in 2022.
Key Budget Allocations in 2023-24
Khelo India: The Khelo India initiative witnessed a substantial increase, with a budgetary allocation of ₹1,000 crore.
Sports Authority of India (SAI): SAI received a notable budget of ₹785.52 crore.
Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan: The budget for Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan saw a significant rise, reaching ₹401.49 crore.
National Sports Federations and National Service Scheme: Both National Sports Federations and the National Service Scheme received ₹325 crore each, reflecting an increase from the previous fiscal.
While the Minister's speech praised the achievements of Indian athletes, the detailed sports allocation for the current financial year awaits further clarification.
