Development of Physical Education in India - Post Independence

India progressed in every field after gaining independence in 1947, and Physical Education was no exception. The Government of India introduced a series of committees, institutes, schemes and events that, over the following decades, turned scattered activity into an organised national system of physical education and sport. The main milestones, in order, are the heart of this topic.

Committees and advisory boards

• In 1948, the Government set up the Central Government Physical Education Committee, also known as the Tara Chand Committee, which recommended a Central Institute of Physical Education and Recreation and the improvement of standards of games and sports in India.
• In 1950, the Central Advisory Board of Physical Education was set up to advise the Government on physical-education matters. One of its important aims was to introduce Physical Education as a compulsory subject at the elementary, middle and senior-secondary levels. To promote indigenous physical activities, the Board prepared the National Plan of Physical Education and Recreation in 1956.

Coaching, councils and early institutes

• The First Asian Games were held in 1951 at New Delhi, motivating Indian youth to take part in games and sports at the international level.
• In 1953, the then Health Minister Rajkumari Amrit Kaur introduced a Coaching Scheme for games and sports to streamline coaching in the country. As a result, the National Institute of Sports (NIS) was set up in 1961 at Moti Bagh, Patiala (Punjab) to produce qualified coaches in different games and sports.
• In 1954, the All India Council of Sports came into existence to act as a liaison between the Government and the National Sports Federations and to assist in financial matters; under it, State and District Sports Councils were established.
• In 1957, ten years after Independence, the Ministry of Education & Culture established the first college of physical education as the Lakshmibai College of Physical Education (LCPE) at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. It was renamed the Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE) in 1973, and in 1995 became a Deemed University under the name Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE).

Departments, drives and talent schemes

• In 1958, the Ministry of Education established a Sports and Youth Welfare Department to promote physical education, and in 1959 sponsored the National Physical Efficiency Drive to assess the fitness of people in India.
• The National Fitness Corps was established in 1965 to make the youth physically strong.
• In 1970-71, the Rural Sports Tournament Scheme was introduced to involve rural youth and spot natural talent, and the Sports Talent Search Scheme was launched to promote sportspersons at the state and national levels.
• To enhance women's participation, a National Sports championship for women was started in 1975.

Infrastructure, SAI and the recent phase

• The 1982 Asian Games in India gave a huge boost to sports infrastructure and facilities. In 1984, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) was established under the Department of Sports to maintain and make proper use of the infrastructure built for the Games. SAI has two objectives: to promote sport and to achieve sporting excellence at the national and international levels. …