Dharmendra Pradhan, Anurag Singh Thakur, Nishith Pramanik interact with athletes and fitness icons on National Sports Day

To mark the countrywide celebrations of the National Sports Day today, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Nishith Pramanik interacted with athletes and fitness icons.

Speaking at the programme Shri Pradhan said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is making every effort to popularise sports and nurture sporting talent. Union Minister said that NEP 2020 also envisages sports as a part of curriculum and lays emphasis on sports-integrated learning as well as adopting fitness as a lifelong attitude. He said that we are in the process to include sports and its various aspects into school curriculum. We are also rolling-out National Credit Framework with due weightage to sports. Award of academic credits for sporting activities will act as a catalyst in popularising sports, he added. He shared that the Education Ministry has sought inputs from the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry that can be included in these books on sports and youth-related subjects.

Adding to this, Shri Thakur said, “The time has come to make India a sports hub and a sports superpower, as envisioned by our PM. The results being shown by our athletes at various international competitions as well as the support that is being extended by the government through its various schemes like Khelo India and TOPS for requirements like equipment, diet, training, foreign exposures, is only poised to improve. I believe if we work together we can make India the sports superpower that it deserves to be.”