Convener News Desk
Jammu, Jan 16: The Department of Youth Services & Sports (DYSS) Friday presented a comprehensive roadmap for youth engagement in 2026 before Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, outlining a year-long calendar of sports, fitness, cultural, and youth-centric activities aimed at fostering holistic development, social participation, and sporting excellence across Jammu and Kashmir. The mega plan is expected to engage over 40 lakh youth throughout the Union Territory.
The high-level meeting saw participation from Principal Secretary, Culture Brij Mohan Sharma; Commissioner Secretary, Youth Services & Sports Yasha Mudgal; Director General, DYSS; Secretary, J&K Sports Council; representatives of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India; and officers from the School Education and Higher Education Departments, among others.
Chief Secretary Dulloo directed the Department to ensure time-bound and outcome-oriented implementation of the activity calendar, emphasizing measurable physical and sporting achievements. He urged hosting of national and international sporting events across disciplines to create visibility, enthusiasm, and momentum among the youth, alongside robust awareness campaigns to maximize outreach and participation.
The Chief Secretary stressed the optimal use of funds under SASCI, Ministry of Sports schemes, and Capex allocations to upgrade sports infrastructure to modern standards. He emphasized the importance of evenly distributing activities across all districts to ensure equal opportunities for aspiring youth.
Digital empowerment featured prominently in the discussion, with the Chief Secretary calling for the expansion of athlete registration on the My BHARAT portal from 5.5 lakh to at least 20 lakh and continuous creation of events on both My BHARAT and Fit India portals, with automated alerts for participants.
Cultural activities were also highlighted as an integral part of youth engagement. The Chief Secretary called upon the Culture Department to develop a year-round calendar of high-impact UT-level events, complemented by district and school-level programs, and to host national competitions to recognize and nurture creative talent.
DYSS officials outlined a five-tier sports tournament framework spanning intramural school-level competitions to national and international representation, ensuring systematic talent identification and progression. Over 36.45 lakh youth participated in sports and non-sports activities during 2025–26 (till December), with major sports events engaging 20.55 lakh participants and social initiatives such as plantation drives, Nasha Mukt Bharat, International Yoga Day, and National Unity Day engaging 15.89 lakh youth.
Notable achievements of J&K athletes were highlighted, including the overall national championship in Taekwondo at the 69th National School Games, a Bronze medal in football, and international accolades such as Nasir Ejaz Sufi’s Bronze at the ISF World School Games in China. Inspirational milestones of Aarbeena Altaf, J&K’s first Taekwondo Gold medalist, and Sheetal Devi, youngest Indian Paralympian medalist at Paris 2024, were also recognized.
Beyond sports, DYSS has promoted creativity, innovation, and civic engagement through district-level Open Mic programs culminating in “Dastaan-e-Mic,” the inspirational podcast “Khel Khel Mein,” and volunteerism via the My BHARAT portal and J&K Bharat Scouts & Guides.
A robust digital athlete ecosystem is planned, featuring Sports IDs, performance dashboards, DigiLocker-linked certificates, Aadhaar-based authentication, and real-time tracking from grassroots to elite levels. Strategic collaborations, coach education, sports science, and capacity-building initiatives are also part of the roadmap, including the proposal for a world-class Sports Science and Injury Centre in J&K.
Secretary, J&K Sports Council Nuzhat Gul outlined the engagement targets, revealing that against a target of 37.5 lakh youth for 2025–26, 29.75 lakh have already participated till December 2025, with an expected additional 8 lakh youth engagement by March 2026, surpassing the annual target. Flagship events scheduled for January–March include Jammu Cyclothon, Football and Cricket Premier Cups, South Kashmir Volleyball League, Snow Festivals at winter destinations, and the 6th Khelo India Winter Games 2026 at Gulmarg and Srinagar.
Comments are closed.