The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has revised the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs as the last revision was in February 2022. This revision follows the commencement of a new Olympic cycle post-Paris Olympics 2024, keeping in mind India’s aspirations to host the 2036 Olympic Games and addressing challenges related to the development of India's sports ecosystem. The revision by the Sports Ministry takes into account increased costs due to inflation in training, infrastructure development, equipment procurement, and athlete welfare. Enhanced Budget To Host National, International Events Under the new Scheme of Assistance, the NSFs will get enhanced financial assistance to conduct National Championships in two categories – Rs 90 lakh for High Priority sports and Rs 75 lakh for Priority sports, up from the previous limit of Rs 51 lakh. For international events, the amount has been doubled to Rs 2 crore. The ministry has also increased the salary of coaches across the categories. While the Chief National Coach will draw a monthly salary between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh, the other coaches will be entitled to a salary between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh per month. In another significant move, the ministry upgraded the diet charges to Rs 1000 per day for senior athletes (up from Rs 690), and to Rs 850 per day for junior athletes (up from Rs 480). Focus on Grassroots and Athlete Development The ministry, meanwhile, directed the NSFs that they should earmark at least 20 per cent of their annual budget for grassroots development. And the budget should be utilised through the affiliated units of the NSFs for junior and youth development. The NSFs, the ministry said, will also work on identifying a probable group of athletes with high performance potential across senior and junior groups in High Priority and Priority sports. These athletes will be trained at accredited academies selected by the NSFs. Each Probable Group athlete is entitled to receive Rs 10,000 per month as a dietary allowance during non-camp days to ensure they are not deprived of a proper diet. Coach Development and Capacity Building The ministry also addressed the key aspect of athlete development by focusing on coach development and capacity building of local coaches. The ministry mandated that at least 10 per cent of the Scheme funds should be used for coach and technical staff development, conducting courses in India and abroad, developing coaching curriculum, and conducting conferences, seminars, and workshops. To help native Indian coaches gain the requisite exposure, the Sports Ministry said that both foreign and Indian experts should be invited to attend workshops and courses. All NSFs are to have a Coaching Education Expert dedicated to the training of trainers. The ministry also made it mandatory for NSFs with an annual budget of Rs 10 crore and above to appoint a High Performance Director (HPD). It further stated that foreign coaches working with Indian athletes must contribute to the capacity building of local officials and coaches during non-training periods, as part of their Key Result Areas (KRAs).