Director General Youth Services and Sports Navin Agarwal is a dynamic official of the Jammu& Kashmir State.
It may be recalled here that Navin Agarwal has served the police department in J&K for the last 27 years continuously in various capacities including SSP Pulwama, SSP Rajouri, SSP Leh, DIG CID, DIG Doda-Udhampur Range, IGP Armed, ADG Security and DG Prisons. Pertinently his persona has been a source of encouragement for various sports activities for police personnel and several youth development programmes.
In an exclusive interview with The Kashmir Scenario, Navin Agarwal Talks to Rameez Makhdoomi.
Since you have recently taken over the charge of Director General, Youth Services and Sports what would be the priorities?
This Department is basically intended to identify the young talent in sports-nurture and train them and send them to highest level up to which they are capable off. So our emphasis would be to hold talent identifying competitions of different sports on ground level which implies each and every school at Panchayat level even in remote areas and then at zonal level and then inter-zonal competitions at district so as we get entire budding talent of the district.
Logically, this will be followed by coaching camps for the talent that has been spotted via this process. Then hold mega district level and state level competition so that best possible talent represents us at National level.
Summer is best time to organize sporting events in Kashmir and in this regard what would be the main events conducted this year by the Department?
All the events that we have will be organized. I think there are 37 disciplines and we will be holding competitions in all these disciplines. We have already begun conducting competitions at zonal and district level.
Experts have time and again called for upgrading and expanding the network of youth hostels in Kashmir. Your take on this?
Youth Hostels are existing in Kashmir, but I agree they are in a quiet dilapidated condition. We should not forget the bare minimum objective of accommodating the youth who participate in various sports events is being fulfilled. Although a lot of expenditure is required to revamp them and when the required budget becomes available we would refurbish them in a big way.
Sportsmen and youth fell playgrounds are in a very fewer number. Would the Youth services and sports create some grounds?
Yes in this regard the Government is keen that all the high and higher secondary school should have their own playground and wherein they are not existing we have plan to develop them and this year we will be covering all the high and higher secondary schools even in remote areas.
Despite Physical Education becoming popular Sports still a number of posts are lying vacant with reference to Physical Education in Higher secondary schools?
Yes it is an encouraging sign that Physical Education is becoming a very popular subject and most of the Higher Secondary Schools want this subject to be taught in their schools. A number of posts of lecturers are lying vacant and which were to be recruited through direct recruitment and we have accordingly referred these to Public Service Commission for filling up and those who are in Promotion Quota they have been promoted (those who were internal candidates) and 50 percent which were to be appointed via Direct Recruitment have been referred as per rules.
Is it true that we are limited to few sports only?
I don’t think we are limited to few sports only. Many new sports have come up and sometimes traditional sports take a back seat but I would encourage traditional sports too. Some schools sometimes resort to new sports to avoid higher competition. While encouraging new sports I believe traditional sports demand the required patronage which cannot be done away
What is being done to improve coaching facilities and provide exposure to coaches at national level?
Coaching is very important for training sportsmen especially budding talent. In this regard; we will be having proper coaching camps. We do not have Coaches in our Department and some of our masters are NIS trained coaches and we utilize their services. Since they are not as permanent coaches as and when opportunity comes we will send them to such exposure avenues.
How far it is true that children in elite schools have better reach to sports in the country. Your take?
I think it is true to large extent because in the elite schools there are more facilities, but for the rural youth we are planning playgrounds in each and every High and Higher secondary schools. In city the sports council have their headquarters and the city youth get benefit of the coaches that these councils have. But our departments of youth services and sports are revamping the sports structure in all the rural areas of country.
Any new schemes?
There was scheme called PICA which was meant for Panchayats because the utilization certificates were not coming so grants stopped. We are trying to file all utilization certificates and if this scheme comes through again there would be lot of positive development at block level.
What is your message?
I would say that academics are important but sports as a career can also be thought by youth for which they can take the required path. If youth and children in our state take the desired interest we would be able to produce Olympic level sportsmen from Kashmir.