Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju claims new education policy will have sports as part of curriculum

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Mumbai, June 11: Sports will be part of the curriculum in the country's new education policy and it will no more be considered as an extra-curricular activity, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday (June 11) claimed.

While speaking at the inaugural session of the 'International Webinar on Olympism and Olympic Education in the 21st century', Rijiju said, "The new education policy of India is also going to have sports as a part of education (and) sports not as extra-curricular activities."

During the inaugural session of the 'International Webinar on Olympism and Olympic Education in the 21st century', the minister said: "I always believe in that, education is one, sports is one. It is the same." Rijiju said sports cannot be treated as an optional subject and it has to be accepted as a part of education.

"Sports is also an education, so sports cannot be extra-curricular activities. Thereby sports cannot be treated as an optional subject ... sports as part of education has to be accepted by all," he said. "The new education policy of India is not officially declared yet, but it is almost in the final shape. My ministry has already pushed very strongly during our interaction and my participation in the national committee to make sports an integral part of the education system."

Rijiju said he has formed a high-level committee for the formation of the National Sports Education Board. "I am very happy to share that we have already announced our National Sports Education Board. Now it is in a formation stage and I have constituted a very-high level committee and this committee is under discussion on how to bring the national sports education board into shape," he said.

Rijiju is also keen to have an "Olympic Museum" for the country and said discussions regarding it would take place once situation normalises post the COVID-19 pandemic. "About the Olympic Museum, I personally feel that the Olympic Museum is a very important treasure. We need to have in every country and a country like India, we have a good legacy, we must have that," he said.

"So maybe after this COVID-19, when everything is over, we will discuss having a beautiful (and) worthy of calling it (an) Olympic museum, maybe in Delhi, maybe in our National Stadium... I am very keen to have an Olympic Museum in India."

(With PTI inputs)