Khelo India Rising Talent Identification Program

Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) Program

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Context:

As the Paris Olympics draws near, the Government's ambitious Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) program is set to get a fresh boost.

The Phase 2 KIRTI

The phase 2 of the initiative will be launched in New Delhi.
The project aims to achieve 20 Lakh assessment in the FY 2024-25 by onboarding all states and treating the district as a unit of assessment.

The first phase of KIRTI

The first phase of KIRTI was launched in Chandigarh on March 12 this year.
Out of 3,62,683 registrations across 70 centres, close to 51,000 assessments in 28 states and Union Territories have been made.
Maharashtra and Haryana, two states which have always done well in Khelo India meets, have had the maximum number of assessments – 9168 and 4820 -- respectively.
Assam is third with 4703 assessments.
Evaluation of aspiring athletes has happened in 11 disciplines – Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Football, Hockey, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Volleyball, Weightlifting and Wrestling.
Maximum assessments have happened in athletics (13804) and football (13483).

Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) Program

KIRTI (Khelo India Rising Talent Identification) is an integrated talent identification architecture based on modern ICT tools and global best practices.

Motivation behind the scheme

The roots of the project KIRTI are based on an athlete-centric approach wherein at every step the process of Talent Identification has been made more broad-based and accessible.

Aims:

To streamline the whole process of grassroots talent identification on a single platform.
To conduct 20 lakh assessments across the country throughout the year to identify talent through notified Talent Assessment Centres.

Significance

Project with its decentralised and pocket-based talent identification approach will help in achieving the twin objectives of the Khelo India Schemee. excellence in sports, and mass participation in sports.
KIRTI’s athlete-centric programme is conspicuous by its transparent selection methodology based on Information Technology. Data analytics based on Artificial Intelligence are being used to predict the sporting acumen of an aspiring athlete.
A scouting and assessment programme of this scale is a first in India and comes at a time when the nation wants to become a top 10 sports nation in the world by 2036 and among the top five by 2047.

Important Schemes to promote Sports in India

Schemes	Features
Fit India Movement	●Launched on 29th August, 2019 with a view to make fitness an integral part of our daily lives. ●The mission of the Movement is to bring about behavioural changes and move towards a more physically active lifestyle.
Khelo India	●Government of India program launched in 2017-18 to improve India's sports culture at the grassroots level. The program's goals include identifying talent, developing infrastructure, and holding sporting competitions. ●It also emphasizes including traditional Indian games to increase their popularity.
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)	●It is a program by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) to help India's top athletes prepare for the Olympics. ● The scheme was established in September 2014 with the goal of helping athletes win medals at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. ●In 2020, the scheme was expanded to include junior athletes. ●TOPS provides support to athletes in the following areas: ●Training, Competition, Equipment, Coaching camps, Monthly stipends, Customized programs, Financial disbursement, and Progress monitoring.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)	● It was established in 1998 under the Charitable Endowments Act 1890 and was notified by the Government of India in November, 1998. ●The purpose of the fund is to impart momentum and flexibility to assisting the cause of sports in India.
Scheme for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award	●The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has launched the Scheme for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the objective of which is to recognize the most brilliant and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson during the period of four years immediately preceding the year in which the award is given.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA)	● It is a centrally sponsored scheme, was launched on 21.2.2014 in place of erstwhile Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA). ●Under the revised RGKA scheme, construction of a sports complex in each block of the country both for outdoor and indoor sports disciplines on land measuring about six - seven acres at a Total cost of Rs. 1.60 crore (Rs. 80 lakh each for outdoor playfield and indoor sports hall) will be undertaken. ●There is also provision of Rs. 15 lakh for sports equipment and Rs. 1.5 lakh for furniture to be provided by the Department of Sports. ●All the 6545 blocks in 634 districts will be covered in a phased manner over a period of 5 years.

Important articles for reference :

Khelo India

FIVE YEARS OF KHELO INDIA

Important articles for reference:

National Education Policy 2020

SDGs

Sources:

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Consider the following statements about “Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) Program”:

Its Phase 2 will employ a district-based approach for state onboarding.
The second phase of KIRTI also made assessments in 11 sports disciplines, including Archery and Weightlifting.
It employs traditional methods exclusively, without incorporating modern ICT tools or data analytics in its talent identification process.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Answer: a

Statement 1 is correct.

Phase 2 of KIRTI is indeed scheduled to be launched in New Delhi and aims to achieve 20 lakh assessments in the fiscal year 2024-25. The initiative plans to use a district-based approach for onboarding all states.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

The first phase of KIRTI, not second phase, which began in Chandigarh, has been operational in 28 states and Union Territories and has assessed athletes in 11 disciplines, including Archery and Weightlifting.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

KIRTI does not rely solely on traditional methods. It incorporates modern ICT tools and data analytics, including artificial intelligence, to enhance the talent identification process. The program's approach is advanced and integrates technological innovations for effective athlete evaluation.