The Union Ministries of Youth Affairs and Sports and Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNESCO to introduce clean sport values into classrooms across India through the ‘Sports Values in Every Classroom Toolkit’.
The agreement was exchanged at the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) India’s Clean Sport Conclave. Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi reaffirmed the importance of integrating sports and education, a priority also highlighted in the Khelo Bharat Niti 2025.
The initiative aims to embed core values such as respect, integrity and fairness in children through education, sports and everyday classroom activities. Video modules developed under the toolkit will be made available in 13 Indian languages to ensure wide reach among students and to help build a stronger and fairer sporting ecosystem.
Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office for South Asia Tim Curtis, Secretary of the Department of School Education T.K. Anil Kumar, Secretary of Sports Hari Ranjan Rao and NADA Director General Anant Kumar were present at the event. International javelin thrower Sachin Yadav also participated in the conclave.
Mandaviya stressed that sporting excellence and integrity must advance together. “Talent, discipline and hard work are essential for sporting success, but integrity, fairness and credibility are equally important,” he said. He noted India’s fourth-place finishes at the Asian Games and Asian Para Games as evidence of the country’s growing strength and ambition in sport, while acknowledging that doping remains a serious concern requiring sustained efforts in prevention, testing, enforcement and education.
During 2025–26, NADA India conducted over 7,000 tests and more than 350 education and awareness sessions that reached 27,000 participants. Supplement testing facilities at the National Forensic Sciences University in Gandhinagar and the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research in Hyderabad help prevent inadvertent doping. Investigations within NADA are being strengthened in line with global practices. The NADA Act came into force this year, and the government is preparing to introduce provisions for the criminalisation of doping-related activities in Parliament.
Education Minister Pralhad Joshi described the MoU as an important step towards closing the longstanding gap between education and sports. He observed that academically strong students do not always participate in sports and emphasised the need to strengthen grassroots opportunities and create clearer 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,” Joshi said. He expressed satisfaction that children will now learn about clean sport and its associated values, and called for these principles to spread beyond classrooms into wider society. Integrating sports values into education, he added, can help nurture responsible citizens and build a culture of fairness and integrity from an early age.
Tim Curtis described the agreement as a new chapter in UNESCO’s partnership with India. He said the initiative has the potential to reach millions of young people and could offer a model that other countries might learn from.
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The toolkit focuses on practical classroom activities and age-appropriate video content designed to make concepts of fair play, respect and integrity accessible and engaging for students. By delivering material in multiple Indian languages, the programme seeks to overcome linguistic barriers and ensure inclusive coverage across diverse regions.
The collaboration between the Sports and Education Ministries with UNESCO reflects a coordinated national approach that links physical education, value-based learning and anti-doping awareness. Officials present at the conclave underlined that early education on clean sport principles is essential for long-term cultural change in Indian sport.
The signing marks a concrete step towards embedding these values systematically in the school system. Implementation will involve making the video modules and supporting materials available to schools nationwide, supported by the institutional frameworks of both ministries and UNESCO’s technical expertise.
By combining education policy with sports integrity efforts, the initiative aims to prepare a generation of students who understand that success in sport must rest on a foundation of fairness and ethical conduct.
