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The Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports inaugurated Phase 2 of the Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) programme in New Delhi on 19 July 2024.  

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• KIRTI is a brainchild of the current Prime Minister of India. It aims to develop an integrated talent identification architecture based on modern Information and communication technology (ICT) tools and global best practices.
• It is the flagship Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.
• Scouting and training programme of this scale is a first in India.

The first phase of the KIRTI Programme 

• It was launched in Chandigarh on March 12 this year to ensure that every step of the talent identification process is broad-based and accessible.
• The programme's goal is to achieve 20 lakh assessments in the FY 2024-25 by onboarding all states and treating districts as units of assessment. 
• In the first phase, close to 51,000 assessments were conducted in 28 states and Union Territories. Maharashtra and Haryana had the maximum number of assessments—9168 and 4820, respectively followed by Assam with 4703 assessments.
• KIRTI evaluates aspiring athletes aged 9-18 years in 11 disciplines: Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Football, Hockey, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wrestling. 
• Athletics and Football saw the highest participation in the first phase.

Significance of the Programme

• The programme aligns with the nation's aspiration to become a top 10 sports nation by 2036 and among the top five by 2047.
• To hunt talent from every nook and corner of the country and to use sports as a tool to curb addiction towards drugs and other gadgetry distractions.
• KIRTI's transparent selection process utilizes IT and data analytics to identify promising athletes with long-term potential