Solution To RUSA Hurdle For Sports

Bhupinder Singh

(The writer is a national athletics coach)

Representation in sports and youth activities has decreased drastically at inter-college level after the implementation of Rashtriya Ucchtar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) system in Himachal. Earlier exams were conducted twice in a year. But now besides semester exams, internal exams are also conducted taking total tally of exams to four in a year. Internal exams are also compulsory for assessment marks. How students will get time for sports and other activities in this tight schedule of exams? This is the reason there is a dearth of sportspersons at college level. Besides this, they are not even able to ensure active participation in NCC and NSS activities. Himachal Pradesh University’s administration therefore has provided four credit to international sportspersons participating in that particular semester. National medal winner too will get four credit. Student player who wins first and second position at state level competition will get three credits while third position holder will get two credits. Student players who participated in state level competition too get one credit. Representation of Indian university at international level or winning a medal at inter university level yields four credits. Registering first or second position in inter-college sports competitions or youth activities yields three credits while the third position in the same yield one credit to the participant.

Medal won in cultural activities in youth festival of Indian university level will yield four credits to student; participation at this level will ensure three credits. Exceptional performance at university youth festival will yield two credits and participation will yield one credit. Similarly, participation in NCC at international level will ensure four credits while republic day parade participation will yield three credits to the cadet. Participation at national level and C certificate will fetch cadet two credits and B certificate will yield one credit. Indira Gandhi award winner in NSS and international level participant will get four credits; participation in Republic Day parade will fetch three credits and participation in national level camps and camps prior to Republic Day parade will yield two credits to NSS candidate.

Participation in seven day camp organised by college will yield one credit to NSS candidate. This facility will be available to participants in every semester as per rules. A student can achieve a maximum of 24 credits in a semester and 20 credit achiever will be deemed as pass in that particular semester. It means 120 credits earned in six semesters in three years will earn student a bachelor degree. Exceptional player or students of other youth activities can earn 20 credits in a semester.

This decision could see enhanced participation in sports and other activities from next session onwards only if teachers of other subjects too encourage them to do so. We hope that teachers will provide their cooperation to give full meaning to education by supporting this cause. The new government has given indications to bring some reforms in RUSA system and exams will be conducted only once in a year ending the semester system. It seems we are near to finding a solution for removing the hurdle posed by RUSA to sports and other youth activities.

Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘Divya Himachal TV’. Also,  Download our Android App