KIRTI PROGRAM (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Sports)

Context: The Government's ambitious Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) program is set to get a fresh boost under the leadership of the Union Minister for Youth Affairs.

Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) Program

• About: It has been envisioned to develop an integrated talent identification architecture based on modern ICT tools and global best practices. 
• Objective: It aims to streamline the whole process of grassroots talent identification on a single platform.
• Based on: An athlete-centric approach wherein at every step the process of Talent Identification has been made more broad-based and accessible.
• Target Age Group: It is aimed at school children between nine and 18 years of age.
• Launch and Initial Assessment: KIRTI made a solid launch across 50 centres in India, assessing fifty thousand applicants in the first phase across 10 sports, including athletics, boxing, wrestling, hockey, football, and wrestling.
• Assessment Goals: The program aims to conduct 20 lakh assessments throughout FY 2024-25 to identify talent through notified Talent Assessment Centres.
• Selection Methodology: Its athlete-centric programme features a transparent selection methodology based on Information Technology. Data analytics and Artificial Intelligence are used to predict the sporting acumen of aspiring athletes.
• Decentralized Approach: The program’s decentralized and pocket-based talent identification approach supports the twin objectives of the Khelo India Scheme: excellence in sports and mass participation in sports.