From The Grassroots
Sports Ministry launches module to map PE teachers nationwide
The module will create a national repository of PE professionals, helping map their skills and support scientific talent identification at the grassroots.
The initiative will cover district, state, and national levels as the government seeks to build a more systematic pathway for identifying and nurturing sporting talent. (Photo credit: Press Information Bureau)
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has launched a Physical Education Professionals’ Module on the National Sports Repository System (NSRS), with the government aiming to create a nationwide database of physical education teachers within six months.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched the registration and onboarding module on October 1, describing physical education teachers as an important link in identifying sporting talent at the grassroots.
The proposed repository will map the qualifications, skills, specialisations and expertise of PE teachers across India, with the government aiming to create a structured database at the district, state and national levels.
“Physical education teachers in schools and colleges are among the first to identify sporting talent among children and youth,” Mandaviya said.
He said a scientific approach to talent identification should begin at the grassroots, with PE teachers well placed to identify children with the physical attributes and potential to develop into athletes.
The Sports Minister has called for a district-level campaign involving physical education teachers' associations to encourage registration and participation in the initiative.
Six-month deadline
Mandaviya has directed that the nationwide repository be created within six months, with progress to be reviewed on a time-bound basis.
The government says the database will allow it to better understand the capabilities and specialisations available among PE professionals and create opportunities for those with specialised skills to gain exposure at national and international levels.
The initiative forms part of the NSRS, a centralised digital platform designed to maintain a unified repository of stakeholders connected to India's sporting ecosystem.
Sports science at grassroots level
The launch also puts greater emphasis on the role of sports science in India's talent development pathway.
Mandaviya said sports science has a role across the sporting journey, from identifying and nurturing young talent to supporting elite athletes.
The initiative therefore seeks to connect grassroots physical education with a more systematic talent-identification process, rather than relying solely on athletes emerging through established competitive structures.
The launch was attended by officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sports Authority of India, Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education and Physical Education Foundation of India.
The government now plans to move from registration towards building the proposed repository over the next six months, with the database intended to support more systematic identification and development of sporting talent across the country.