Pariksha SaathiSports Ministry issues guidelines for revised scheme of assistance to National Sports Federations, outlay Rs 7,386.74 crore for 2026-31
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports issued operational guidelines on 16 October 2026 for the revised Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs), which the Government has continued for 2026-27 to 2030-31, the 16th Finance Commission cycle, at a total outlay of Rs 7,386.74 crore. The scheme is the main mechanism for preparing athletes for events such as the Olympic, Asian, Commonwealth and Paralympic Games and World Championships, funding national coaching camps, athlete support, foreign coaches and exposure, and national championships. New components, aligned with the Commonwealth Games 2030 and India's 2036 Olympic bid, include up to Rs 50 crore for an NSF to host an international event, up to Rs 50 crore for conducting the National Games, sport-specific Olympic Training Centres to reduce reliance on overseas training, support for indigenous sports to reach global competitions, sports cooperation with Global South countries, and funding for sports events of multilateral bodies such as BRICS and BIMSTEC.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
Under clause (1) of Article 280 of the Constitution, a Finance Commission is to be constituted every fifth year or earlier. The Sixteenth Finance Commission, chaired by Dr Arvind Panagariya, has reported for 2026-2031. Dr Panagariya was the first Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, from January 2015 to August 2017.
Reference: Finance Commission of India official website
Check yourself: how much can an NSF now receive for hosting an international event in India?
Up to Rs 50 crore, depending on the event’s nature and importance and the number of participating countries and athletes; a committee headed by the Secretary (Sports) assesses proposals.
Revision task: from this release, note the outlay, the period and the new components with their limits, and keep them apart from the standing facts about the Finance Commission above.
Test yourself
What is the total outlay of the revised Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations for 2026-27 to 2030-31?
Show the answer
Answer: Rs 7,386.74 crore
The Government continued the scheme for 2026-27 to 2030-31, the 16th Finance Commission cycle, at a total outlay of Rs 7,386.74 crore; the Sports Ministry issued its operational guidelines on 16 October 2026.
Read the daily collection → · Editorial standards & corrections