Govt rolls out record cash prizes, govt jobs for medal-winning athletes
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced a series of landmark policy decisions during a Cabinet meeting held at the Delhi Secretariat. The measures include record-breaking cash incentives and government jobs for international medal-winning athletes, the establishment of 350 state-of-the-art computer labs in government schools and free laptops for top-performing Class 11 students.
Under the revised Mukhyamantri Khel Protsahan Yojana, Delhi has become the first Indian state to offer the highest cash rewards to sportspersons. Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists will now receive Rs 7 crore, while silver and bronze medallists will be awarded Rs 5 crore and Rs 3 crore, respectively. Athletes from the Asian and Asian Para Games will receive up to Rs 3 crore for gold, Rs 2 crore for silver and Rs 1 crore for bronze, while Commonwealth Games medallists will be given Rs 1 crore for bronze, Rs 1.5 crore for silver and Rs 2 crore for gold. The scheme also includes increased incentives at the national level — Rs 11 lakh for gold, Rs 5 lakh for silver and Rs 3 lakh for bronze.
Taking a bold step towards long-term athlete welfare, the Gupta government also announced Grade A government jobs for Olympic and Asian Games gold and silver medallists. Bronze medallists and winners from other international sporting events like the CWG and Para Games will be eligible for Grade B or C posts.
Rs 7 crore for Olympic, Paralympic gold medallists
Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists will now receive Rs 7 crore, while silver and bronze medallists will be awarded Rs 5 crore and Rs 3 crore, respectively
Athletes from the Asian and Asian Para Games will receive up to Rs 3 crore for gold, Rs 2 crore for silver and Rs 1 crore for bronze
Commonwealth Games medallists will be given Rs 1 crore for bronze, Rs 1.5 crore for silver and Rs 2 crore for gold
The scheme also includes increased incentives at the national level — Rs 11 lakh for gold, Rs 5 lakh for silver and Rs 3 lakh for bronze
The policy further extends financial support for training, medical insurance and international travel assistance, offering up to Rs 20 lakh and Rs 10 lakh in support for elite athletes, respectively.
Complementing this push in sports, the Cabinet also cleared a Rs 50-crore project to install 350 fully equipped computer laboratories in Delhi government schools. The initiative aims to enhance digital literacy and infrastructure across 544 schools operating out of 350 buildings, especially those with double shifts. In the first phase (2025-26), 175 labs will be established, followed by the remaining in 2026–27. Each lab will house 40 desktop computers and digital learning tools, with a Project Monitoring Unit set up to oversee timely implementation.
Additionally, the government launched the Mukhyamantri Digital Education Scheme under which 1,200 meritorious Class 11 students from government schools will receive free laptops based on their Class 10 board results. The scheme, which will be rolled out annually, has been allocated a budget of Rs 7.5 crore for the current year.
Delhi