The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is “critically” under-funded and under-staffed, according to a recent report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Sports. The committee, which includes prominent figures like Congress MP Digvijaya Singh and cricketer Harbhajan Singh, also observed that India’s international sporting performance is "far from satisfactory." The report links SAI’s poor financial health directly to the country's struggle for international medals and urges the Sports Ministry to take immediate corrective action.
The committee expressed "grave" concern over the significant staffing gaps at SAI, noting that approximately 45 per cent of sanctioned posts are currently vacant. While these roles are being managed through temporary contractual appointments, the report calls this an ad hoc arrangement that is not sustainable. The panel highlighted the staff crunch in coaching and scientific cadres as particularly "alarming," stating that it "substantially undermines the coaching of athletes and jeopardise their chances to win medals."
Despite acknowledging the Ministry’s recent recruitment drive, the committee has demanded that the process be completed within the next six months. It pointed to the stark reality that India, a country of over 1.4 billion people, could not win "even a single gold medal in the last Olympics in 2024." The report concluded that there appears to be a "gap or deficiency at the policy level" and recommended that the Ministry adopt a more strategic, targeted approach to divert resources towards sports where the nation has the "best chance to win medals."
The report also raised serious concerns about the government's flagship Khelo India Scheme, which has seen significant funds diverted and even returned to the government. The committee was "constrained to observe" that Rs 38.79 crore was diverted from the scheme to SAI's National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs). An even more "alarming" finding was that Rs 122.30 crore of allocated funds were returned to the Consolidated Fund of India, a practice the committee labeled as a reflection of "poor estimation, planning and implementation."
Furthermore, the panel noted that a separate amount of Rs 19.50 crore, allocated for the development of play-fields under the Khelo India Scheme, went unspent due to a "lack of proposal from eligible entities." In response, the committee has recommended that the Ministry consult with these entities to understand their lack of enthusiasm and address any concerns they may have. The report calls for an Action Taken Report (ATR) on this matter to ensure accountability.
Looking ahead, the committee has provided a clear roadmap for the future of the Khelo India Scheme, which is currently approved until March 31, 2026. It recommends that the scheme be permanently embedded within SAI’s organizational structure thereafter. This move, the report suggests, would allow for the creation of dedicated staff positions within SAI to carry out the scheme's functions, including the disbursement of funds to other government agencies.