New Delhi, Oct 28: The Union Sports and Education Ministries on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNESCO to take clean sport values to every classroom across the country through the ‘Sports Values in Every Classroom Toolkit’.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi reaffirmed the need to integrate sports and education, as also highlighted in the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025.
The MoU was exchanged at the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) India’s Clean Sport Conclave here, with the initiative aimed at embedding values such as respect, integrity and fairness in children through education, sports and everyday classroom activities, a release said.
The toolkit’s video modules will be made available in 13 Indian languages, with the objective of reaching students across the country and building a stronger and fairer sporting ecosystem.
Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office for South Asia, Tim Curtis, Secretary Department of School Education TK Anil Kumar, Secretary Sports Hari Ranjan Rao and NADA Director General Anant Kumar were also present on the occasion.
International javelin thrower Sachin Yadav also took part in the conclave.
“Sporting excellence and sporting integrity must go hand in hand. Talent, discipline and hard work are essential for sporting success, but integrity, fairness and credibility are equally important,” Mandaviya said, highlighting the need to strengthen clean sport awareness alongside India’s growing sporting ambitions.
He also noted that India’s fourth-place finishes at the Asian Games and Asian Para Games reflected the growing strength and ambition of Indian sport.
However, doping remains a serious concern, requiring sustained efforts in prevention, testing, enforcement and education.
“During 2025–26, the National Anti-Doping Agency of India conducted over 7,000 tests and more than 350 education and awareness sessions, reaching 27,000 participants,” Mandaviya said.
“Supplement testing facilities at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad further help prevent cases of inadvertent doping, while investigations within NADA would be strengthened in line with global practices. The NADA Act came into force this year and the government is also preparing to bring provisions for the criminalisation of doping-related activities before Parliament,” he said.
Joshi said the MoU would help address the longstanding gap between education and sports. He also observed that students who performed well academically did not always participate in sports, and emphasised the need to strengthen grassroots opportunities and build better pathways for young athletes.
“This MoU is an important step towards strengthening the connection between education and sports, which has been missing for a long time. Through this initiative, we are working to ensure that sports values become an integral part of every child’s educational experience,” he said.
“I’m very happy that children are now being educated about clean sport and the values associated with it. The values being introduced through this toolkit must spread beyond classrooms and reach every section of society. By integrating sports values into education, we can help nurture responsible citizens and build a culture of fairness and integrity from an early age.”
Curtis described the MoU as a new chapter in UNESCO’s partnership with India, with the potential to reach millions of young people and offer a model that other countries could learn from. (PTI)
