Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports issues operational guidelines for revised Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs)

1. At a Glance

• Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF) is the principal mechanism for supporting Indian athletes preparing for the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Paralympics and World Championships [1]. Earlier it was described as the flagship Central Sector Scheme and the main source of money for preparing national teams [4].
• Revised scheme: it runs from 2026-27 to 2030-31, which is the 16th Finance Commission cycle. The outlay is ₹7,386.74 crore [1]. The previous cycle (2021-22 to 2025-26) had ₹1,575 crore [4].
• New strategic components were added. They are tied to CWG 2030 and India's 2036 Olympic bid, and they also link sport to diplomacy: the Global South, BRICS and BIMSTEC [1].
• Why it matters for UPSC: it brings together sports governance, federal funding of autonomous bodies, soft power, and the new National Sports Governance Act, 2025 [1][6].

2. Why in the News

• 16 Oct 2026: the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) issued operational guidelines for the revised ANSF scheme, with revised norms for each component [1].
• 31 Jul 2026: the Union Cabinet approved a revamped Khelo India Scheme together with an enhanced ANSF. Their combined outlay is ₹36,441 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31 [2][9].

3. Background & Evolution

• Rationale: NSFs are autonomous bodies registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 or the Companies Act. Their own resources are limited, so the Centre funds training, competitions and support staff [5][4].
• Milestones:
• About ₹765 crore was spent under TOPS and ANSF combined from 2018-19 up to the date of a reply by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur [10].
• Feb 2022: the scheme was continued for 2021-22 to 2025-26 with ₹1,575 crore [4].
• May 2025: funding norms were revised. Support for national championships rose from ₹51 lakh to ₹90 lakh for High-Priority sports and ₹75 lakh for Priority sports. Support for hosting international events was set at ₹2 crore. NSFs must earmark ≥20% of their annual budget for grassroots development [3].
• 18 Aug 2025: the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 (Act No. 25 of 2025) received Presidential assent [6].
• 31 Jul 2026: the Cabinet approved ANSF 2026-31 alongside Khelo India [2].

• 16 Oct 2026: operational guidelines were issued [1].

• Related earlier initiatives: Khelo India; the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) [10][2].

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact
Ministry	Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports [1]
Scheme type	Central Sector Scheme [4]
Period	2026-27 to 2030-31, the 16th FC cycle [1]
Outlay	₹7,386.74 crore [1]
Previous outlay	₹1,575 crore for 2021-22 to 2025-26 [4]
Combined with Khelo India	₹36,441 crore [2][9]
Approving committee for big-ticket aid	Committee headed by Secretary (Sports) [1]
Legal status of NSFs	Autonomous bodies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 or Companies Act [5]
Audit	NSFs receiving more than ₹1 crore a year are audited by the CAG [5]

Components the scheme continues to fund [1]:

• National coaching camps and academy training.
• Athlete support: boarding, lodging, kits, insurance, sports science.
• Foreign coaches, High Performance Directors, physiotherapists, sports scientists and doctors.
• Foreign exposure.
• Senior, Junior and Sub-Junior National Championships.
• Grassroots development.
• Administrative and governance support to NSFs.

New and enhanced components [1]:

• Hosting international events: up to ₹50 crore per event. The amount depends on the nature of the event, the number of participating countries and the number of athletes.
• Olympic Training Centres (OTCs): each OTC is dedicated to a single sport and has the latest sports-science equipment. The aim is to reduce reliance on overseas training. Support covers coaches, technical staff, sports science and specialised equipment.
• National Games: up to ₹50 crore for equipment, Timing, Scoring and Result (TSR) services, technical officials and technical conduct.
• Indigenous sports: support for getting them included as demonstration events at the Olympics, Asian Games or CWG, and for setting up federations abroad. It also supports international or continental federations of indigenous sports that have offices in India.
• Global South cooperation: scholarships and subsidised use of SAI and non-SAI High Performance Centres.
• Multilateral bodies: competitions, conferences, research and workshops for BRICS, BIMSTEC and similar bodies.
• International or continental bodies with offices in India: funding is routed through the NSF or NOC case by case, on the recommendation of the Secretary (Sports) committee.

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic

• The outlay rises from ₹1,575 crore to ₹7,386.74 crore, roughly 4.7 times the previous cycle [4][1].
• The hosting cap rises from ₹2 crore (2025) to ₹50 crore (2026). The aim is to build India into a venue for international events [3][1].
• OTCs would replace spending on overseas training camps with domestic capacity [1].

Geopolitical / Strategic (soft power)

• The scheme positions India as a training partner for the Global South [1].
• Sport becomes a diplomatic tool within BRICS and BIMSTEC [1].
• Hosting international federations' offices builds India's influence in global sports governance, which helps the 2036 bid [1].

Social / Cultural

• Indigenous games get a route to global visibility through demonstration events [1].
• The ≥20% grassroots earmark aims for wider talent identification, beyond elite athletes [3].

Governance / Ethical

• The large discretionary components (₹50 crore for hosting, case-by-case support for international bodies) all go through a Secretary (Sports)-led committee [1]. Transparent criteria are needed.
• NSFs receiving more than ₹1 crore a year come under CAG audit [5].
• Under the NSGA 2025, a National Sports Board recognises NSFs, and disputes go to a National Sports Tribunal [6][7]. Federations will therefore have to meet governance conditions to receive funding.

Administrative

• Centre-State angle: support for the National Games is technical (TSR services, officials), not infrastructure [1].
• The guidelines put the Cabinet approval into practice by setting component-wise norms [1].

Scientific / Technological

• Sports-science services and support staff (physios, sports scientists, doctors), plus science-equipped OTCs, mark a shift from funding events to building high-performance systems [1].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 11 Aug 2025: the National Sports Governance Bill passed Lok Sabha. It passed Rajya Sabha on 12 Aug 2025 [7].
• 14 Aug 2025: a PIB release reported the sports fraternity welcoming the passage of the NSG Bill and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 [8].
• 18 Aug 2025: the NSG Act received assent. It comes into force on a date the Centre notifies [6].
• 31 Jul 2026: the Cabinet approved Khelo India and ANSF for 2026-31 with ₹36,441 crore combined. New features include Emerging Khelo India Athletes (E-KIAs), a National Coach Accreditation Board and a unified digital sports platform [2].
• 25 Aug 2026: PIB described the package as the largest investment in sports development since Independence [9].
• 16 Oct 2026: operational guidelines for the revised ANSF were issued [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• The ANSF outlay for 2026-27 to 2030-31 is ₹7,386.74 crore [1].
• The scheme period matches the 16th Finance Commission cycle [1].
• The previous cycle (2021-22 to 2025-26) had an outlay of ₹1,575 crore [4].
• ANSF is a Central Sector Scheme (not Centrally Sponsored) [4].
• NSFs can get up to ₹50 crore to host one international event [1].
• Up to ₹50 crore is available for conducting the National Games [1].
• Proposals for large-scale assistance are assessed by a committee headed by Secretary (Sports) [1].
• Olympic Training Centres are each dedicated to a single sport [1].
• TSR stands for Timing, Scoring and Result services [1].
• The scheme supports competitions for BRICS and BIMSTEC [1].
• Under the May 2025 norms, NSFs must earmark ≥20% of their annual budget for grassroots development [3].
• Under the May 2025 norms, national championship support is ₹90 lakh for High-Priority sports and ₹75 lakh for Priority sports [3].
• NSFs receiving more than ₹1 crore a year are subject to CAG audit [5].
• The National Sports Governance Act, 2025 is Act No. 25 of 2025 and received assent on 18 Aug 2025 [6].
• The combined Khelo India and ANSF outlay for 2026-31 is ₹36,441 crore [2].

8. Why More Money Alone May Not Buy More Medals

• The yearly amount has grown about six times, but the system that must spend it has not
• In 2019-20, ANSF got ₹245 crore a year, the same as the year before [12].
• The new outlay of ₹7,386.74 crore over five years works out to about ₹1,477 crore a year [1].

• The money reaches athletes through NSFs and the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Both are short of people.

• SAI does not have the staff to run new centres

• In August 2025, a Parliamentary Standing Committee (a group of MPs that examines one ministry's work) found that about 45% of sanctioned SAI posts were empty, with contract staff filling the gap [11].
• In 2019 the vacancy rate was above 37%, along with a shortage of coaches [12]. So the problem has got worse, not better.

• The new Olympic Training Centres (OTCs) will need coaches, sports scientists and doctors [1]. Those are exactly the posts that stay unfilled.

• India has already built centres that do not work

• SAI runs 24 National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs). Some are not working at all, and some have no usable hostels [11].

• If OTCs are added before NCOEs are fixed, India may end up with two half-working networks instead of one strong one.

• Approved money has often been cut later in the year

• BE (Budget Estimate) is the amount announced in the Budget. RE (Revised Estimate) is the corrected amount later in the same year.
• In 2018-19, the Sports Ministry's BE of ₹2,196 crore was cut to ₹2,002 crore at RE, about 9% less [12].
• A Standing Committee report on Olympic preparation said NSF allocations were being cut at the RE stage, and asked for this to stop [14].

• The headline ₹7,386.74 crore is a five-year promise. What athletes actually get depends on yearly RE decisions.

• What should follow

• MYAS should fill SAI vacancies within six months, as the 2025 Committee recommended [11], before setting up OTCs.
• The Ministry could protect the coaching-camp and athlete-support parts of ANSF from mid-year RE cuts.

9. Funding Through Recognition: Discipline or Danger?

• The case for: the Centre finally has a lever over badly run federations
• Under the NSGA 2025, only federations recognised by the National Sports Board can get Central funds. The Board can suspend or cancel recognition [13].
• This answers an old complaint. In 2019, MPs found most NSFs were run by non-sportspersons, had no grievance system, and some ignored government guidelines [12].

• Other countries do this too. The UK gives public money to sports bodies only if they follow its governance code [13].

• The strongest objection: Indian control can trigger international bans

• The Olympic Charter (the IOC's rulebook) says national Olympic bodies must be free from political pressure [13].
• The Act lets the Centre issue directions, and lets the Board issue guidelines and hold inquiries. PRS warns that international bodies could see these powers as government interference and punish India for them [13].
• This has happened before. FIFA suspended the All India Football Federation in 2022 because a court had appointed people to run it. The Wrestling Federation of India was suspended in 2023 for delaying its elections [13].

• The Act itself says international charters win in any conflict. So a federation that follows every Indian rule can still be banned abroad [13].

• An honest answer: the objection is right about the risk, wrong about the remedy

• Funding Indian federations with no conditions failed for decades, and the 2019 findings show this [12].
• The real danger is not the conditions themselves. It is vague grounds and case-by-case government action.
• If the Board uses written, published grounds that match the Olympic Charter, it can enforce discipline without looking like politicians taking control. The UK model works because its code is public and the same for every body [13].

10. Who Decides the ₹50 Crore, and on What Basis

• The biggest new grants depend on case-by-case judgement
• Up to ₹50 crore for hosting an event and up to ₹50 crore for the National Games are both large amounts [1].
• Hosting aid is judged on the nature of the event, the number of countries and the number of athletes. No formula or weighting is given [1].

• Support to international bodies with offices in India is decided case by case by the Secretary (Sports) committee [1].

• Discretionary sports money has gone to the wrong places before

• The 2025 Standing Committee found that money from the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) had been diverted to civil services associations and residential colonies. It asked for stricter rules [11].

• If a fund with a narrow purpose can go off track, a ₹50 crore hosting grant with loose criteria carries the same risk.

• Prestige events can crowd out athlete spending

• The hosting cap went from ₹2 crore to ₹50 crore in about a year [3][1]. Coaching-camp norms did not rise by anything like that.
• The 2025 Committee found that stipends for kits and nutrition had not been revised for years [11].

• One ₹50 crore event is worth more than 55 national championships funded at ₹90 lakh each [3].

• What should follow

• MYAS should publish a scoring formula for hosting grants: points for the number of countries, Olympic status and use of the venue afterwards. It should also publish each year's approvals.
• The NSDF reforms the 2025 Committee asked for [11] should cover the new discretionary parts of ANSF as well.

11. Sport Is a State Subject, but This Money Skips the States

• The Constitution gives sport to the States
• Sport is in the State List (the subjects only States can make laws on). PRS questioned whether Parliament could rely on Article 253 (the power to make laws to carry out international treaties) for the NSGA, since the Act carries out no treaty. The Olympic Charter is written by private bodies [13].

• ANSF is a Central Sector Scheme (fully run and paid for by the Centre) [4]. Its money goes from the Centre to the national federations, and State governments have no formal role.

• The gap shows up on the ground

• In 2019, MPs found poor coordination between NSFs, SAI and State Sports Federations, and asked that State bodies be directly involved in schemes [12].
• NCOEs are unevenly spread. Some States with strong sporting cultures have poor SAI facilities [11].

• The National Games support covers technical services only, not stadiums [1]. So States still pay for the most expensive part.

• What should follow

• The 2025 Committee proposed a sports index that ranks States on performance [11]. MYAS could use it to decide where OTCs are placed.
• That would link Central money to the States that are actually producing athletes, and give every State a reason to compete.

12. Indigenous Games: Global Shop Window, Empty Home Ground

• The scheme looks outward, not inward
• The new indigenous-sports component pays to get these games shown as demonstration events at the Olympics, Asian Games or CWG, and to set up federations abroad [1].
• At home, akharas (traditional wrestling and martial-arts schools) and academies teaching Indigenous Games and Martial Arts get no regular money [11].

• The IGMA Schools in Jharkhand and Maharashtra are still waiting to start working [11].

• Why this order is risky

• A sport cannot become a demonstration event without enough players and a working national federation. Both depend on local schools and clubs.

• Showcasing a sport abroad while its home base has no money is building from the top down.

• What should follow

• The ≥20% grassroots earmark [3] could include a fixed share for akharas and IGMA academies, as the 2025 Committee's findings suggest [11].

13. Anchors for Answers

• Data: ANSF was ₹245 crore a year in 2019-20. The 2026-31 cycle averages about ₹1,477 crore a year [12][1]
• Data: About 45% of sanctioned SAI posts are vacant (2025) [11]
• Data: 24 SAI National Centres of Excellence exist, and some are not working [11]
• Report/Committee: Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, "Review of functioning and performance of SAI and Khelo India", 20 Aug 2025: NSDF money was diverted, recognition was too bureaucratic, and a State sports index was proposed [11]
• Report/Committee: Standing Committee on HRD (2019 findings): most NSFs were run by non-sportspersons and had no grievance system [12]
• Law/Case: National Sports Governance Act, 2025. Funding depends on Board recognition. It raises questions about the State List and Article 253 [6][13]
• Law/Case: FIFA suspended AIFF in 2022 and the Wrestling Federation of India was suspended in 2023. Both show the risk of international bans [13]
• Comparison: The UK gives public money to sports bodies only if they follow a published governance code [13]
• Scheme: Khelo India is ANSF's grassroots partner and shares the ₹36,441 crore 2026-31 package [2]
• Scheme: The National Sports Development Fund was the 2025 Committee's example of discretionary money going to the wrong uses [11]

14. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: government policies and interventions for development in various sectors; issues in their design and implementation; statutory and regulatory bodies.
• GS-II (International Relations): India and the Global South; regional and global groupings (BRICS, BIMSTEC).
• GS-III: inclusive growth; mobilisation of resources; infrastructure.
• GS-IV (case studies): accountability in public funding of autonomous bodies.
• Likely question stems: 1. The revised Scheme of Assistance to NSFs marks a shift from event-based funding to building a high-performance ecosystem. Critically examine in the context of India's 2036 Olympic ambitions. (15 marks) 2. Sports can be an effective instrument of India's soft power in the Global South. Discuss with reference to recent policy initiatives. (10 marks) 3. Increased public funding to National Sports Federations must go hand in hand with governance reform. Analyse in light of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. (15 marks)

15. Related Topics to Study Next

• National Sports Governance Act, 2025: it sets up the National Sports Board and the Tribunal, and federations must meet its recognition conditions to receive funding [6][7].
• Khelo India Scheme 2026-31: it is the grassroots counterpart to ANSF and shares the ₹36,441 crore package [2].
• Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS): individual support for elite athletes, often reported together with ANSF [10].
• National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Act, 2025: athlete integrity, a frequent GS-II companion topic [8].
• Finance Commission cycles: schemes are now appraised to match the FC award periods [1].
• BRICS and BIMSTEC: the multilateral platforms named in the scheme [1].
• CWG 2030 and the 2036 Olympic bid: the strategic reasons behind the new components [1].

16. NCERT Concepts to Revise

• Societies Registration Act 1860 (Polity): NSFs are autonomous bodies registered under this Act, which explains why they need Central funding and oversight.
• Comptroller and Auditor General (Polity): NSFs receiving over ₹1 crore a year come under CAG audit, a key accountability check.
• Finance Commission (Polity): The scheme's 2026-31 period matches the 16th Finance Commission cycle, so schemes are appraised on that timeline.
• State List (Polity): Sport is a State subject, yet this Central scheme and the governance Act raise questions about Centre-State roles.
• Legislation to implement international agreements (Polity): Article 253 is questioned as the basis for the Sports Governance Act, since sport is a State subject.
• Standing committee (Polity): Standing Committee reports on SAI and Olympic preparation supply the note's key criticisms, like vacancies and fund diversion.

17. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Mixing up the outlays: ₹7,386.74 crore is ANSF alone. ₹36,441 crore is Khelo India plus ANSF combined [1][2].
• Old vs new hosting cap: the cap was ₹2 crore under the May 2025 norms and is ₹50 crore under the 2026 guidelines [3][1].
• Scheme type: ANSF is a Central Sector Scheme, not a Centrally Sponsored one [4].
• Who recognises NSFs: under the NSGA 2025 it is the National Sports Board, not the Ministry directly [6].
• OTCs vs NCOEs: OTCs are new single-sport centres. They are separate from the existing National Centres of Excellence [1].
• Who chairs the committee: Secretary (Sports), not the Sports Minister or the IOA [1].