National Physical Literacy Mission

• 10 May 2022

For Prelims: Article 21 of the Constitution, Public Interest Litigation.

For Mains: National Physical Literacy Mission, Sports, Youth.

Why in News?

Recently, the Supreme Court has asked the Centre and States to respond to a report recommending sports to be expressly made a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution.

• Further, the report submitted by the court’s amicus curiae (friend of the court) suggested that the “narrow” phrase ‘sport’ be replaced by ‘physical literacy’, which is a term “firmly established as a right in the leading sporting nations of the world”.

What is the Premise of the Supreme Court’s Ruling?

• The report was filed in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to amend the Constitution to make sports a fundamental right and amend the Directive Principles of State Policy to include an obligation to “strive for promotion of sports education”.
• It had urged that sports should be transferred to the Concurrent List to facilitate cooperative work between the Centre and states (at present, sports is a state subject).

What did the Report Suggest?

• Responsibility Matrix: Central Government should launch ‘National Physical Literacy Mission’.
  • The mission should implement a responsibilities’ matrix that includes curriculum design, compliance monitoring, and review, grievance redressal and self-correction mechanisms which starts at the school level to groom children for various sports.
• Dedicated Time for Sports: All school boards including CBSE, ICSE, State Boards, IB, IGCSE should be directed to ensure that from the academic year commencing 2022-2023, at least 90 minutes of every school day will be dedicated to free play and games.
• Sports Facilities for Free: State governments ought to ensure that from the current academic year, all educational institutions in their non-working hours, should allow neighborhood children to use their playgrounds and sports facilities for free.
• Draft ‘Physical Literacy Policy’: A 180 days' time should be given to educational institutions to draft ‘Physical Literacy Policy’.
  • The policy will include the institution’s commitment to a ‘no-child-left-behind’ approach.
  • It should ensure that the institution’s physical literacy activities are designed and delivered in a manner that is inclusive of students.
• Internal Committee: There is a need to create an internal committee to address specific cases where there is a failure in responsibilities to deliver the right to physical literacy of students.
• Dashboard: There is a need to create a dashboard with real time data on mapping of available playgrounds and open spaces and their utilization rates, availability and qualifications of physical education teachers, curricula, timetables, and equipment in educational institutions across the country.

International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport

• The International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport is a rights-based reference that orients and supports policy- and decision-making in sport.
• It promotes inclusive access to sport by all without any form of discrimination. It sets ethical and quality standards for all actors designing, implementing and evaluating sport programmes and policies.
• Adopted at the 20th session of the UNESCO’s General Conference (1978).

NEP 2020 and Sports

• Sports have been given a place of pride in the recent National Education Policy (NEP 2020).
• Sports, which was considered extra-curricular activity earlier is now being treated as part of the curriculum and grading in sports will be counted in the education of the children.
• Institutes of higher education and sports university are being established. There is a need to take sports sciences and sports management to the school level as that will improve the career prospects of the youth and will enhance India's presence in the sports economy.

Schemes to Promote Sports

• Sports Authority of India (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports)
• Khelo India Scheme
• Assistance to National Sports Federations;
• Special Awards to Winners in International sports events and their Coaches;
• National Sports Awards, Pension to Meritorious Sports Persons;
• Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Sports Welfare Fund;
• National Sports Development Fund; and
• Running Sports Training Centres through Sports Authority of India.

Source: TH