New Ladakh Sports Policy 2026

What is the New Ladakh Sports Policy 2026?

New Ladakh Sports Policy 2026 is a policy of the Department of Youth Services & Sports, Union Territory of Ladakh that sets out scholarships, cash awards, job reservation and sports development commitments for sportspersons of the Union Territory. It is currently a draft.

The Youth Services & Sports Department issued an Office Memorandum on 31 July 2026 (File No. M/2513/2026-YS&S) stating that the draft had been uploaded on the Administration's website for inviting comments, and that comments or objections were invited from all concerned stakeholders within a period of 30 days from the date of publication of the draft. Comments may be sent by email to secy.yss@gmail.com, or by post to the Under Secretary, YS&S Department, UT Secretariat Ladakh, Leh 194101.

The draft states that the Policy is to remain in force for ten years from the date of its notification unless amended, modified or superseded earlier. Its stated mission works on the principles of "Scout, Facilitate and Recognize", with an explicit aim of positioning Ladakh as a national hub for winter sports, high-altitude training and sports tourism.

Readers should treat every figure below as a proposed figure until the policy is notified. The draft itself provides that the Government, on the recommendation of the Ladakh Sports Council, may revise the quantum of awards and incentives by notification from time to time.

How much scholarship does the policy offer sportspersons?

Scholarships under the draft are payable per person per month for 12 months, to medal winners in recognised International, National and Union Territory level competitions, including National School Games and Khelo India Games.

The Union Territory level scholarship is available only for the focus sports notified under the policy, whereas the international and national bands are not restricted in that way.

Four conditions shape how the scholarship actually works:

• The scholarship is ordinarily awarded for one year from the date of the qualifying achievement.
• If the sportsperson secures a higher-level achievement during the scholarship period, the scholarship is upgraded from the date of that achievement for a fresh period of one year.
• Only the highest eligible achievement of a sportsperson is considered.
• The scholarship is not admissible where the same achievement is already earning a scholarship from the Sports Authority of India, the Central Government or any other government agency.

What cash awards does the Ladakh Sports Policy 2026 propose?

Cash awards are separate from the monthly scholarship and are paid to sportspersons of UT Ladakh who finish first, second or third in recognised competitions.

International tournaments and championships

Becoming an International Grand Master of Chess carries Rs 1 crore, and becoming an International Master of Chess carries Rs 75 lakh. Participation alone in the Olympic Games or Paralympics carries Rs 10 lakh for an individual event and Rs 5 lakh for a team event.

National level tournaments: Rs 25 lakh, Rs 20 lakh and Rs 15 lakh for senior gold, silver and bronze; Rs 20 lakh, Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh for junior.

School games: National School Games and All India University Games carry Rs 10 lakh, Rs 8 lakh and Rs 5 lakh for senior and junior medals, and Rs 5 lakh, Rs 4 lakh and Rs 3 lakh at sub-junior level. Cluster, zonal and regional games carry Rs 5 lakh, Rs 4 lakh and Rs 3 lakh at senior and junior level. UT Level School Games carry Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 25,000 across all three age categories.

Mountaineering, Rs 10,00,000 for successfully summiting a peak above 8,000 metres anywhere in the world, certified by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation or another competent authority recognised by the Government of India.

Para-sports: para athletes are placed on the same scale as their counterparts: Rs 1 crore, Rs 75 lakh and Rs 50 lakh at the Para Olympic Games, Rs 50 lakh, Rs 30 lakh and Rs 25 lakh at the Para Asian Games, Rs 25 lakh, Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh at the Para Commonwealth Games, and Rs 25 lakh, Rs 20 lakh and Rs 15 lakh for national senior and junior championships. Visually impaired, hearing impaired and Special Olympic sports carry Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh at national championships. In team events the award is distributed equally among team members.

Coaches, one best coach in a different discipline every three years receives a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. Coaches who trained medal winners for at least 180 days in the preceding two-year period are eligible, and not less than one-third of awards conferred in any year are reserved for women coaches, subject to availability of eligible candidates.

Who is eligible under the Ladakh Sports Policy 2026?

You can claim under the policy if:

• You hold a valid Resident or Domicile Certificate of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• You have ordinarily represented UT Ladakh before selection to a national team or international competition. The Ladakh Sports Council may relax this for a domicile holder selected through a Sports Authority of India centre, the Armed Forces, a Central Armed Police Force, or an educational institution outside the Union Territory.
• Your medal or performance was won in a competition conducted by a Sports Association or Federation recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. For international events, only competitions recognised by the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee, the concerned International Federation recognised by IOC/IPC, or specifically approved by the Ministry, count.

You cannot apply, or are not eligible, if:

• You do not hold a Ladakh Resident or Domicile Certificate.
• Your event was conducted by a private or unrecognised organisation, unless specifically notified by the Government.
• You are suspended or sanctioned under NADA or WADA anti-doping rules — no award or incentive is payable during the period of ineligibility.
• You are found guilty of sports-related misconduct, criminal activity, false claims or forged documents, which brings disqualification and possible debarment from future benefits.
• You submitted a false age or identity, which the draft says attracts disqualification and debarment; age-verification protocols apply in all junior and sub-junior categories.
• You are claiming for an achievement of an earlier year, the draft states plainly that claims relating to achievements of earlier years shall not be entertained.

How to apply for a cash award under the Ladakh Sports Policy

1. Obtain your Resident or Domicile Certificate of the Union Territory of Ladakh, if you do not already hold one. It is the first eligibility condition for every benefit in the policy.
2. Collect authenticated competition details, name of the event, venue, date, discipline and position secured, from the organising body, along with your medal or position certificate.
3. Fill the application in the prescribed format issued by the Department of Youth Services & Sports.
4. Submit it to the Secretary, Ladakh Sports Council, either directly or through the concerned UT-level sports association recognised by the Council and affiliated to a National Sports Federation recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.
5. Await verification by the competent authority, which the draft requires before any award is sanctioned.
6. Appear before the Screening or Selection Committee constituted by the Department for scrutiny and recommendation of eligible cases.
7. Receive the sanctioned amount in your bank account after the competent authority clears the case.

Applications must be filed for the current achievement, in the year in which it was won.

What else does the draft policy commit to?

• 4 percent horizontal reservation for outstanding sportspersons in non-gazetted cadres in all government posts, subject to a separate notification by the General Administration Department. An "outstanding sportsperson" is defined as someone who has won a medal at a recognised national competition, or represented India at or won a medal in a recognised international competition.
• Advance increments, incentives and out-of-turn promotion for in-service sportspersons who excel during their service career, as per DoPT guidelines.
• Not less than 40 percent participation of women and girls in all departmental sports programmes, talent identification drives, training camps and competitions within the policy period, reported annually.
• Scholarship protection during pregnancy, no sportsperson forfeits a scholarship, cash award, incentive or in-service benefit because of pregnancy, childbirth or the postpartum period; the scholarship is suspended and resumed, not cancelled, for up to 24 months.
• A Strategic Coach Development Programme with Community, Intermediate and Elite coach levels, to be notified separately.
• Centres of Excellence, a Long-Term Athlete Development Programme, a data bank of sportspersons, a Wall of Fame and a safe sports and grievance redressal mechanism.
• Outreach to nomadic and remote communities of Changthang, Zanskar, Nubra and Drass to bring girls into sport, and dedicated women-only training slots at district and sub-divisional facilities.

Where to send comments or get help

• Email: secy.yss@gmail.com, the address named in the Office Memorandum for stakeholder comments on the draft.
• Post: Under Secretary, Youth Services & Sports Department, UT Secretariat Ladakh, Leh 194101.
• Ladakh Sports Council, whose Secretary receives cash award applications and which was asked in the memorandum to give the draft wide publicity.

Until the policy is notified, no award under it can be sanctioned. Sportspersons in Ladakh should track ladakh.gov.in for the notification and for the separate notifications the draft promises on focus sports, the coach development programme and the job reservation roster.