Date:25/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/25/stories/2006122516341600.htm

National

Bring sports under Concurrent list: Parliament panel

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Committee has recommended that the Central Government play a pro-active role with regard to bringing sports under the Concurrent list of the Constitution and seeking the consent of States in this regard.

Stating thatthe Union Government has a greater responsibility to encourage sports, the Standing Committee on Human Resource Development suggested that the Centre should also remove the fears of the States and convince them about the utility of such a move by citing the example of education and popular schemes like the Sarv Siksha Abhiyan (SSA).

``It was only after education was brought to the Concurrent list, popular schemes like SSA could be sponsored by the Union at the all-India level. All the States are being benefited immensely by these schemes,'' the committee headed by Janardhan Dwivedi said in its recent report.

The report said there was an urgent need for educating athletes, coaches and support personnel about the harmful effects of doping on health and the prestige of the nation.