New Delhi, February 12 Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya revealed on Thursday that 1,342 athletes from various disciplines have been removed from the Khelo India program over the past three years due to poor performance and doping violations.
In his response to a question in the Rajya Sabha seeking details of the athletes enrolled in the program, the minister stated that 2,905 new athletes have been inducted into the flagship scheme during the same period.
"A total of 1,342 athletes have exited the program over the last three years due to performance below the prescribed benchmarks and involvement in doping violations," the minister stated in his reply.
"...performance benchmarks are revised annually and are updated on the Khelo India website from time to time. Athlete performance is mapped and measured annually as per the prescribed protocols and in assessment camps," the minister said.
Over 23,000 athletes are being trained and supported across the nation under the Khelo India program. A Talent Identification and Development Committee (TIDC) of the ministry handles the induction and exit of athletes from the program through an established protocol that includes performance assessment camps.
Khelo India was launched in 2017 to identify and nurture sporting talent at the grassroots level, and Manu Bhaker, a prominent Olympic medallist, is one of the beneficiaries of the scheme.
It receives a significant share of the annual sports budget, and the allocation for the financial year 2026-27 has been set at ₹924.35 crore.
Anti-Doping Measures
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Responding to a query on the measures to enforce anti-doping through investigative and intelligence-gathering mechanisms, the minister reiterated that agencies like the CBI are being involved to strengthen the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
"The Government is committed to ensuring clean sport and has taken several steps to strengthen intelligence-gathering and investigative mechanisms, such as strengthening the NADA's Intelligence and Investigation infrastructure, including the recruitment and training of specialized personnel," his reply read.
The coordination with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other law enforcement agencies to combat the trafficking and misuse of performance-enhancing substances is also being encouraged, he stated.
India has been topping the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of countries with the highest positivity rate for banned substances for the past three years.
