Ministry's special fund is for top athletes, bureaucrats dip into it to upgrade their own sports facilities, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• An investigation revealed that funds from the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), meant for athlete training and sports infrastructure, were used to upgrade sports facilities for bureaucrats in Delhi.
• Between 2021 and 2025, over Rs 6.2 crore from the NSDF was allocated to the Civil Services Officers’ Institute (CSOI), the Central Civil Services Cultural and Sports Board (CCSCSB), and the New Moti Bagh Residential Complex.
• During the same period, approximately Rs 2.66 crore was given to two RSS-affiliated organizations for facility construction.
• The Sports Authority of India (SAI) spent around Rs 1.08 crore on cricket-related gifts for cricket boards in the Maldives, Jamaica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
• A Parliamentary Standing Committee raised concerns in August 2025 about the diversion of NSDF funds to residential colonies and civil services associations.
• In 2024, Rs 2.2 crore from NSDF was approved for the Residents Welfare Association, Moti Bagh for upgrading sports infrastructure.
• Contributions to the NSDF sharply declined from Rs 85.26 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 37.02 crore in 2025-26.

Detailed Insights:

• The NSDF, established in 1998, aims to mobilize resources from government and non-government organizations to promote sports and improve Indian sports performance in international events.
• The fund is governed by a 12-member Council under the Union Sports Minister, but grant proposals are cleared by a 6-member committee of officials under the Sports Ministry.
• In 2019, SAI sanctioned Rs 2.8 crore from the Khelo India scheme for creating sports infrastructure at New Moti Bagh Complex, and in 2024, the same tennis courts were upgraded again using NSDF funds.
• In 2021-22, when donations to the NSDF were at their lowest, over 10% of the total corpus was used to upgrade facilities for civil servants.
• In 2024-25, the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad in Udaipur received Rs 2.41 crore for constructing a spectator's gallery and resurfacing an athletic track.
• In 2021-22, during Kiren Rijiju's tenure as Sports Minister, Rs 5.93 crore was approved for civil work and installation of open-air gyms across Arunachal Pradesh.
• In 2022-23, cricket associations of Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines received cricket items worth Rs 46.23 lakh and Rs 8.79 lakh, respectively, as gifts.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Sports Development Fund (NSDF): A fund established in 1998 to promote sports and improve the performance of Indian sports in international events.
• Khelo India Scheme: A national program for the development of sports in India, aiming to revive sports culture at the grassroots level.
• Sports Authority of India (SAI): The apex national sports body of India, established to promote sports and achieve excellence at the national and international levels.