Fitness will get marks for students: Ajay Maken

Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Thursday unveiled the exposure draft on National Physical Fitness Programme (NPFP), under which school children across the country will get marks for their physical fitness.

Maken said in order to ensure fitness amongst all school children, a system needs to be put in place that would assess and ascertain a child's physical fitness from class V onwards.

Stating that the scheme needs to be motivational rather than coercive, Maken said, "The achievement of fitness by a child has to be rewarded in a manner similar to reward for academic achievement."

In the present proposal, marks and grades are linked to the academic performance and fruits thereof. It is felt that if fitness level is linked to academic excellence, it will motivate the students and the parents alike, to strive for it.

After a comprehensive exercise, six basic components of physical fitness have been evolved, which are cardio respiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, explosive strength and body composition (percentage of body fat).

The programme envisages that every school going child studying in class V and above, should be evaluated on the above mentioned six components of physical fitness.

The top 10 percentage of gender wise performers shall be given an additional 3 per cent to the percentage obtained by him/her in academic disciplines.

Subsequently, performers between top 10 to 20 percentage will get additional 2.5 per cent, performers between 20 to 30 percentage will get 2 per cent, between 30 to 40 percentage will get 1.5 per cent and between 40 to 50 percentage will get additional 1 per cent weightage in their marking, which may be converted into grades as per prevalent norms.

"The aim to bring about a change in the attitude among not only the children but general public. The programme can bring about a cultural change," said Maken.

The student's performance is accordingly graded and fed into the child's 'Assessment Card' and the school's 'Fitness Assessment Forms' as designed by the Lakshmibai National University for Physical Education (LNUPE), Gwalior.

It is proposed that six National Physical Fitness Awards may also be constituted and awarded by the President of India at the Annual National Sports Day function.

The awards may be in the category of Best Performing State, District and School as also for the State, District and School that has improved the most during the last one year.

Maken also said that he would like the programme to act as a talent hunt for youngsters, who could be groomed into future sporting stars of the country.

The draft exposure will be available in public domain for comments and suggestions from general public as well as stake holders for the next 30 days.

Consultations with the State Governments, Ministry of Human Resource Development and other stake holders will be undertaken, thereafter a committee of experts comprising representatives from the field of education, health and sports will be constituted to look into the suggestions and points that emerge out of discussion with stakeholders before it is being finalised.