Khelo India Games and allied events: School/Youth/University/Winter/Para/Beach/Water/Tribal
The Khelo India Games expanded from the 2018 Khelo India School Games into multiple formats (Youth, University, Winter, Para, Beach/Water, and Tribal) across 2018–2026.
- Khelo India Games are organised as separate annual events under one parent programme.
- Khelo India Games bring participants representing States and universities to compete and prepare for higher levels.
- Khelo India Games provide a national platform for young athletes to pursue excellence.
What happened: expansion of Khelo India Games across age, ability, and sporting formats
The Khelo India movement entered a new phase with the launch of the Khelo India School Games in 2018 in New Delhi, creating a national stage for young sporting talent from across India. The Indian Olympic Association joined the initiative later in 2018. From 2019, the competition was renamed the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) and continued as the flagship youth event under the Khelo India umbrella. The Khelo India Games model expanded to include athletes representing their States and universities, aimed at helping participants compete, improve performance, and prepare for higher levels.
Government information states that since 2018, more than 63,000 athletes have participated in the Khelo India Games. The Khelo India Games added new event formats over time, including niche and inclusion-focused formats:
UPSC can treat the Khelo India Games as a case study of how a single national sports umbrella creates age- and inclusion-specific competition platforms (school, youth, university, para, tribal, and niche sports), and how participation scale is used as an indicator of reach.
