The Sports Ministry has formed a six-member committee to revise the financial assistance norms for National Sports Federations (NSFs), considering India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympic Games.

The committee will be led by Joint Secretary (Sports) Kunal and includes key officials such as Executive Director (Teams) Ritu Pathik, Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) CEO N S Johal, former TOPS CEO Commodore (Retd) P K Garg, and Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) President Sahdev Yadav, who also serves as the Treasurer of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

A circular issued by the Sports Ministry stated that the current norms for financial aid under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs were last revised in February 2022.

The start of a new Olympic cycle following the Paris 2024 Games has created the need for an updated framework to address evolving challenges and align with India’s Olympic aspirations.

The committee has been tasked with reviewing the scale of assistance provided to NSFs under the scheme and recommending revised norms for various components of financial support.

The government has been extending financial aid to NSFs to support training, infrastructure, and participation in international tournaments.

In the Union Budget for 2024-25, the allocation for NSFs was increased to ₹400 crore, up from ₹340 crore the previous year. The last revision of financial assistance norms took place in March 2022.

India has formally expressed its interest in hosting the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The IOA submitted a Letter of Intent to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Future Host Commission on 1 October 2023.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment during the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai last year, stating that 1.4 billion Indians were ready to host the Games.