AN EVALUATION OF INDIA’ S NATIONAL SPORTS POLICY: CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOMES

Abstract

The National Sports Policy (NSP) of India was created with an aim of encouraging the mass participation in sports, sports infrastructure development and enhancing the performance of elite sports people. The efficiency of the policy has been controversial despite several amendments. This paper analyzes the National Sports Policy in India by analysing the issues in implementation and the outcomes obtained. The study uses qualitative and evaluative research design that is based on secondary data that will be used in the form of government policy papers, government reports, peerreviewed journals publications. The trends in the public expenditure, the development of infrastructure and the performance of the sport at the international level are evaluated using the descriptive and comparative analysis. With these findings, it has been established that there is a significant disparity between policy goals and the outcome partly due to insufficient financial allocation, poor development of infrastructure, poor institutional coordination and lack of a proper monitoring mechanism. Despite the fact that regional sporting events show moderate improvement, India is yet to perform well in the international arena. The research finds that the policy on sports in the future should focus on the prolonged funding, the professional governance framework, the development of the grass-root life, and the orderly assessment of the work in order to make a difference of meaning and long-term significance.