Indian sports culture remains undefined. Even though it has changed from what it was a decade ago, it is still in its infancy compared to international sports. To succeed for the nation and develop professionally in sports, young people must not only invest time but also use the resources available to them. Recently, the government came up with a solution to help athletes with free education who have won medals for the nation.

Objectives Of The Scheme

• The objective of the program is to provide financial assistance to medal winners and elite sports persons studying in universities/colleges offering all regular full-time courses including PG diploma courses and other professional courses.

• With the help of this govt scheme, the government wants to motivate athletes to reach higher levels of efficiency by helping them financially with training and development in sports.

• The program applies to athletes who are medal winners at national games or participants in recognised international sporting events.

Eligibility Criteria For This Scheme

• The scholarship is made available to medal winners of national games and participants in recognized international sporting events recognized by the World College Service, International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA) recognized international sporting events admitted to the universities/colleges listed in Section 2(f) & 12(B).

• In subsequent years, the scholarship will depend on their continuous sporting achievements.

Read More: Learn about the National Welfare Fund For SportsPerson.

Benefits Of This Scheme

Here are the benefits of this rule, depending on the situation.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) of India offers financial support to sports medal winners and participants studying in universities and colleges throughout India. Assistance depends upon the level of performance and type of course offered as detailed below:

Category I

• Medal winners at Olympics, World Championships (more than 20 countries) and Commonwealth, Asian, and Afro-Asian Games.

• Participants at Olympic and World Championship Games from more than 20 nations; Medalists at Commonwealth, Asian, and Afro-Asiatic Games.

Category II

• Participants at World Championships (less than 20 nations), Commonwealth, Asian, Afro-Asian Games.

• Participants who won medals at the Asian Championships (excluding Asian Games) or World University Games.

• Attended SAF Games Or competed and medalled at National-level Competitions.

Category III

• Participants at Asian Championships

• (excluding Asian Games), SAF Game

• Medal winners at Inter-University Tournaments

Category IV

• Participants at Inter-University Tournaments

The Pattern Of Assistance For Each Category Is As Follows

Tuition Fee and Other Funds

• Bachelor’s degree: Actual fee for Category I, 75% of actual fee for Category II.

• PG Diploma, PG Degree, M.Phil: Rs. 7500/- per month + Actual fee for Category I, Rs. 5000/- per month + Actual fee for Category II.

• Ph.D.: As per UGC JRF scale.

• MBA or other professional courses: Rs. 7500/- per month + Actual fee for Category I, Rs. 5000/- per month + Actual fee for Category II.

• Hostel Facilities (Boarding and Lodging): Actual fee for both categories.

• Kit: Rs. 15000/annum for Category I, Rs. 10000/annum for Category II, Rs. 7500/annum for Category III, Rs. 6000/annum for Category IV.

• Allowances for Special Courses Abroad: As per Government of India’s norms.

Procedure For Monitoring

• A progress report about each student using this scheme will be submitted by the universities/colleges/institutions.

• The universities, colleges, and institutions are required to provide the utilisation certificates for each student who avails of this scheme. Upon receiving the Utilisation Certificate for the previous grant year, the subsequent grants will be released.

• If a student is awarded the above scheme, he or she is not prohibited from accepting any other scholarship from any other source of funding agency.

• If a student stops studying without approval from the UGC, the UGC will ask for a refund.

• University/College/Institutions must submit an annual progress report with the utilisation certificate to each student using the scheme.

• It would be good to have some provisions for leave of absence for sports and admissions if needed.

Documents Required For This Scheme

Here is the list of documents required to apply for this scholarship.

To Be Submitted By The Candidate Via University Or College

• Candidates are required to fill out an application using the prescribed format.

• A certificate of participation or medal winner attested by the registrar or principal.

Documents Submission ByThe University

• Statement with the names of the students selected for the scholarship and receipt of the scholarship amount.

• Progress report to be submitted at the end of the first year regarding athletic and academic performance.

• Proof of use of the previously disbursed scholarship.

• A certificate issued by the Director/Head of Department justifying the continuation of the scholarship

• Department, duly forwarded by the Registrar/Director.

Cancellation of Scholarship

UGC can end the scholarship for students in the event of:

• Any misconduct by scholarship recipients reported by the university, college, or institution.

• Poor Progress Report: If a candidate consistently fails their exam, they will not receive additional assistance.

• The scholarship can be ended by the Commission at the request of the university at any time during the term, and the final decision of the Commission will be absolute and legally binding

Conclusion

These schemes are good steps towards promoting sports in India. With the help of this govt scheme, athletes can focus on sports as their fees are covered by the government.

For further information, read the official press release here.