PIB Delhi -Para sports have been placed in the ‘Priority’ category for financial assistance by the Government and all the requisite assistance is provided for training and competitive exposure of the para athletes, as per the norms laid down for this purpose. The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) is the recognized National Sports Federation (NSF) dealing with the para athletes in the country. The PCI is provided funds/grants by Government of India under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs towards conducting National Coaching Camps, Foreign Exposures, National Championships, Purchase of Equipment, Salary of Coaches and Sports Staff etc. The Paralympic athletes are provided all requisite facilities at par with other sportspersons, besides their special needs.
The details of funds provided to the PCI under the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations are as under:
(Amount in Rs. Crore)
| Year | Budget Allocated | Funds Utilized |
| 2017-18 | 6.00 | 3.30 |
| 2018-19 | 6.03 | 6.35 |
| 2019-20 | 10.00 | 5.88 |
| 2020-21 & 2021-22
|
10.30 | 3.81
(till Nov 2021) |
In addition to the above, an amount of Rs.10.50 crore was spent during the last Paralympic cycle under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for the para athletes who were medal probable, for the training, Out of Pocket Allowances (OPS), Foreign Exposures, Purchase of Equipment, Sports Science Services etc. This information was given by Minister of Youth Affairs & SportsShri Anurag Thakur in reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
