Scheme for disabled sportspersons

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is implementing ‘Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons’ scheme, Sportspersons who are Indian citizens and have won medals in Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Cups/World Championships (in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines) and Paralympic Games, are eligible for lifelong monthly pension after they attain the age of 30 years or retire from active sports, whichever is later. At present, 627 sportspersons are getting lifelong monthly pension ranging from Rs. 12,000 to 20,000 under the scheme. This Ministry is also implementing the ‘Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons’ (PDUNWFS), which caters to sportspersons of yesteryears now living in indigent conditions and for medical treatment of sportspersons. These schemes are equally applicable to disabled and physically impacted sportspersons.

Financial assistance to sportspersons under these schemes is not given state wise. Information relating to assistance provided to sportspersons from the PDUNWFS during the last five years and current year (as on 05.02.2020) is as under :

S. No. Year Number of sportsperson/ organization Amount (in Rs.)
1 2014-15 17 70,00,000
2 2015-16 04 12,00,000
3 2016-17 03 12,85,000
4 2017-18 06 25,37,500
5 2018-19 12 66,00,000
6 2019-20 15 59,32,415

This Information was given by the Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports,  Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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