The Uttar Pradesh government has greenlit an ambitious project to dramatically enhance sports infrastructure for its secondary school students, approving the construction of modern mini indoor stadiums in 21 selected Government Inter Colleges (GICs) spanning 17 key districts across the state.
This initiative, which was proposed by the Youth Welfare Department and subsequently received approval from the Expenditure Finance Committee, represents a major step towards integrating high-quality sports training and providing contemporary facilities within the state’s secondary education system.
According to senior officials quoted in media, the project involves a substantial financial commitment, with Rs 4.92 crore allocated for the construction of each individual stadium. The government has already demonstrated its commitment to the plan by releasing the first installment of Rs 2.16 crore per project and successfully finalizing the executing agency responsible for the construction work.
Mahendra Dev, the Director of Secondary Education, formally communicated the details of this pivotal initiative to all concerned District Inspectors of Schools.
The selection process was meticulous; initially, proposals were submitted by 23 GICs across 19 districts. However, two institutions were excluded from the final list: the GIC in Unnao was removed due to the issue of insufficient land availability, and the GIC in Ghazipur was dropped because the identified plot was situated in a low-lying, flood-prone area. The final list includes 21 strategically chosen GICs across 17 districts.
The new mini indoor stadiums will be constructed in institutions located in crucial regions, including: Kanpur, Mathura, Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Sambhal, Gonda, Hardoi, Badaun, Ayodhya, Pratapgarh, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Ambedkar Nagar, Pilibhit, and Agra, among others. Specific colleges designated to receive the infrastructure upgrade include GIC Chunniganj in Kanpur, BDP GIC Mathura, PM Shri GIC Iglau in Bijnor, GIC Bulandshahr, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rajkiya Model Inter College Nemla Hasanpur, GIC Noida, and Vibhuti Narayan Rajkiya Inter College Gyanpur in Bhadohi.
Other prominent beneficiaries include Prabhu Narayan GIC Ramnagar in Varanasi, GIC Akbarpur, and selected colleges in Pilibhit and Ayodhya. This targeted investment is expected to significantly improve the sporting environment and opportunities available to thousands of students across the state.
