About Us

Message from Secretary

Active lifestyle, fitness and sports are vital to nurture healthy, confident, and dynamic youth. Rooted in the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship, and Respect, they foster teamwork, fair play, and a spirit of healthy competition, shaping well-rounded personalities and driving holistic human development.

I am honoured to lead the Department at a time when India’s athletes are consistently delivering inspiring performances on the global stage, be it Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or World Championships. These achievements reflect India’s steady progression towards becoming a top sporting nation. We have recently launched the Khelo Bharat Niti-2025, which seeks to reshape the country’s sporting landscape and empower citizens through sports. We are actively pursuing its objectives through coordinated efforts at grassroots as well as elite levels in collaboration with States, the Indian Olympic Association, and National Sports Federations. Equally, the Department is committed to ensure good governance in sports. In this direction, the proposed legislation seeks to bring greater transparency, accountability, and professionalism in the functioning of sports bodies. Our flagship initiative, the Khelo India Scheme, continues to drive the promotion and development of sports across the country. Further, digital integration is being pursued through initiatives such as the National Sports Repository System (NSRS). These initiatives reflect our commitment to build a robust sports ecosystem and further the nation’s aspiration to emerge as a leading sporting power globally.

Looking ahead, the aspiration to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games marks a pivotal goal that will inspire young talent and set new benchmarks for sporting excellence. In alignment with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, we are committed to strengthen the existing ecosystem, improve the capacity of Coaches and focus on early talent identification and development.

Hari Ranjan Rao, IAS (MP:94)

Secretary (Sports)

About Us

Home Sports About Sports Department About Sports Department The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports was initially set up as the Department of Sports in 1982 at the time of organization of the IX Asian Games in New Delhi . Its name was changed to the Department of Youth affairs & sports during celebration of the International Youth Year, 1985. It became a Ministry on 27th May,2000. Subsequently, the Ministry has been bifurcated in Deptt. of Youth Affairs and Deptt. of Sports under two separate Secretaries w.e.f. 30th April,2008. The specific subjects being dealt with by these two Departments are contained in the Order of the Govt. of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961.

Sports promotion is primarily the responsibility of the various National Sports Federations which are autonomous. The role of the Government is to create the infrastructure and promote capacity building for broad-basing sports as well as for achieving excellence in various competitive events at the national and international levels. The Department schemes are geared towards achieving these objectives.

Brief History of the Department of Sports, India

Present Role: