Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Education Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday reaffirmed the need to integrate sports and education, which is also highlighted in the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025, as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Education and UNESCO exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to take clean sport values to classrooms across India through the ‘Sports Values in Every Classroom Toolkit’. 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. 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, fairer sporting ecosystem.
Besides Dr. Mandaviya and Shri Joshi, present in the conclave were Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office for South Asia, Dr Tim Curtis, Secretary, Dept of School Education, Ministry of Education, Shri TK Anil Kumar, Secretary, Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Hari Ranjan Rao and DG NADA, Shri Anant Kumar. International delegates who attended the statutory meetings of the UNESCO anti-doping conventions on Tuesday, were also in attendance. India international javelin thrower Sachin Yadav also took part in the conclave. Dr. Mandaviya expressed his sincere appreciation to the Education Ministry, stating the collaboration reflected the Government of India’s commitment to bringing sports and education together, in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision. “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,” the Hon’ble Sports Minister said, highlighting the need to strengthen clean sport awareness alongside India’s growing sporting ambitions.
He also mentioned about India’s 4th place finishes at the Asian Games and Asian Para Games respectively, reflecting the growing strength and ambition of Indian sport. However, doping remained a serious concern, requiring sustained efforts in education, prevention, testing and enforcement. “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,” Dr. Mandaviya added. “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 National Anti-Doping 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.
Hon’ble Education Minister Pralhad 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,” Shri Joshi 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.”
Dr. Tim 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. “Every child in the classroom can learn what it means to play by the rules. Through this toolkit, we are bringing three fundamental values into education and sport: respect, integrity and fairness,” the Australian said. “The toolkit offers ideas and practical resources, but teachers are the ones who bring these values to life. We need to look at what happens in the schoolyard and how children treat one another in everyday situations. The real test of these values is whether children play fairly even when nobody is watching. That is the kind of integrity we want to nurture from an early age,” Dr. Curtis added.