Sarkari Yojana
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
About Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
Named for hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand (1905–79), the “Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award” (formerly the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award) stands as India’s highest sporting honour. Instituted in 1991–1992, it is presented every year by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
A sportsperson delivering the most spectacular and outstanding performance in sport over the four years preceding the award year receives the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, for excellence at international events such as the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Games/Championships, World Cup, and equivalent recognised international tournaments. As of 2022, the award consists of a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹25,00,000.
OBJECTIVE The award recognises the most spectacular and outstanding sporting performance delivered over the four years immediately preceding the award year. In years when the Olympic, Commonwealth, and Asian Games take place, achievements up to the conclusion of those Games are also taken into account.
Scheme Overview
Central Government
Ministry Of Youth Affairs & Sports
Individual
01 Jan 1992
Scheme Details
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
Eligibility of the Candidate -
A sportsperson delivering the most spectacular and outstanding…
A sportsperson delivering the most spectacular and outstanding performance in sport during the four years immediately preceding the award year is honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, for excellence in sports and games at the international level — Olympic/Asian/Commonwealth/World Games/Championships/World Cup and equivalent recognised international tournaments.
In years when the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games,…
In years when the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games are held, achievements in those Games and the other tournaments mentioned above, right up to their conclusion, are also taken into account.
Sportspersons who have been penalised, or are under…
Sportspersons who have been penalised, or are under enquiry, for using substances banned by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) — based on a sample collected by the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) or another WADA-authorised agency and tested by the National Dope Testing Laboratory or another WADA-accredited laboratory — are not eligible for the Award. General Conditions:
Anyone nominated for the Award is deemed to…
Anyone nominated for the Award is deemed to have accepted the scheme's provisions.
No one receives the Award a second time
No one receives the Award a second time.
Only one individual sportsperson is honoured each year,…
Only one individual sportsperson is honoured each year, a condition relaxed only in exceptional circumstances.
Winners receive the Award at a ceremony held…
Winners receive the Award at a ceremony held at a place and date decided by the Government of India.
The Award may be conferred posthumously, should the…
The Award may be conferred posthumously, should the occasion arise.
To ensure due diligence, the Ministry carries out…
To ensure due diligence, the Ministry carries out character verification before finalising awardee names, if necessary through SAI's regional centres with help from the relevant police authorities.
At the presentation ceremony, awards go only to…
At the presentation ceremony, awards go only to awardees who are present; no one else may collect the award and prize money on their behalf. Awardees unable to attend may later receive it from the Minister-in-Charge for Youth Affairs and Sports.
The Government of India may cancel or annul…
The Government of India may cancel or annul an Award for specific reasons, including doping, requiring the recipient to return the plaque and certificate — though the Government may restore the Award once such cancellation or annulment is withdrawn.
The Government of India's decisions on matters covered…
The Government of India's decisions on matters covered by the scheme, and its interpretation of the scheme's provisions, are final and not open to appeal.
Canvassing of any kind in respect of an…
Canvassing of any kind in respect of an entry makes that entry liable for disqualification.
The Minister-in-Charge for Youth Affairs & Sports is…
The Minister-in-Charge for Youth Affairs & Sports is the competent authority to relax any clause, provided sufficient reasons are recorded in writing. Eligibility of the Nominating Agency -
All National Sports Federations (NSFs) recognised by the…
All National Sports Federations (NSFs) recognised by the Government of India, the Indian Olympic Association, and State/UT Governments may nominate up to two sportspersons in a given discipline/sport in a particular year.
For cricket, which has no NSF recognised by…
For cricket, which has no NSF recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, nominations are invited from the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).
Nominations are also invited by the Ministry from…
Nominations are also invited by the Ministry from Sports Control/Promotion Boards of various government organisations, such as the All India Police Sports Control Board, Army Sports Control Board, Railway Sports Promotion Board, Services Sports Control Board, Indian Navy Sports Control Board, Air Force Sports Control Board, Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, Air India Sports Promotion Board, and SAIL Sports Promotion Board, each of which may nominate up to two sportspersons.
For NSFs that are de-recognised or suspended, the…
For NSFs that are de-recognised or suspended, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) exercises the nomination quota, nominating up to two eligible sportspersons per sports discipline with the Director General, SAI's approval.
If an agency sends more than two nominations,…
If an agency sends more than two nominations, only the first two received are considered.
Past Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awardees may…
Past Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awardees may each nominate one eligible sportsperson for the Award, in the discipline for which they themselves were honoured.
Notwithstanding the above, the Government reserves the right…
Notwithstanding the above, the Government reserves the right to make up to two nominations of sportspersons/coaches in deserving cases where the agencies named under the scheme have not sent any nomination.
Nominations must be signed by
Nominations must be signed by: (i) the Indian Olympic Association's President/Secretary General; (ii) the National Sports Federation's President/Secretary General [for cricket, since no federation is recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, nominations must come from the President/Secretary General of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI)]; (iii) for State/UT Governments/Sports Control/Promotion Boards, an officer of at least Secretary rank within the organisation, with due approval from the competent authority.
Nominations forwarded by any officer other than those…
Nominations forwarded by any officer other than those specified will not be considered.
Benefits Provided
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award provides the following benefits to eligible applicants:
The award will consist of the following:
A cash amount of ₹25,00,000, exempt from Income…
A cash amount of ₹25,00,000, exempt from Income Tax and Wealth Tax in the year it is paid out, presented at a function held at a place and date the Government decides.
A certificate of honour for each sportsperson
A certificate of honour for each sportsperson.
A medal for each sportsperson
A medal for each sportsperson.
Documents Required
Applicants should keep the following documents ready before starting the application:
Date of birth proof
Date of birth proof
User photograph (Image should be in JPEG/PNG/JPG &…
User photograph (Image should be in JPEG/PNG/JPG & size not exceed 5 MB)
Upload user signature (Signature should be in JPEG/PNG/JPG…
Upload user signature (Signature should be in JPEG/PNG/JPG & size not exceed 250 KB)
Vigilance certificate (for Govt./PSU/Autonomous organisation applicants)
Vigilance certificate (for Govt./PSU/Autonomous organisation applicants)
Certificates detailing international achievements
Certificates detailing international achievements
A signed undertaking by the sportsperson, in the…
A signed undertaking by the sportsperson, in the given format Source: https://dbtyas-sports.gov.in/assets/guidlines/doc/List_national_award_doc.pdf
1992-01-01
How to Apply
Online Application
Applicants can apply for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award through the online application process outlined below.
Application Portal: Open Application Portal ↗
Open the website https://dbtyas-sports.gov.in/ to register and apply…
Open the website https://dbtyas-sports.gov.in/ to register and apply for the Department of Sports' Online Schemes.
Click the 'Registration' tab to begin the one-time…
Click the 'Registration' tab to begin the one-time registration process, entering the required personal details and verifying your mobile number via OTP. (Registration Type, Organization Name, Individual Name, Address, State, City, District, Block, Village, Pin Code, Email, Mobile Number)
Once registration succeeds, you'll see a message confirming…
Once registration succeeds, you'll see a message confirming that login credentials have been sent to your registered email ID.
Use those credentials to log in to the…
Use those credentials to log in to the portal — remember to refresh the captcha before clicking the login button.
After logging in for the first time, fill…
After logging in for the first time, fill in your remaining basic details and click 'Update' to complete your profile. (Name of the Applicant, Father's Name, Mother's Name, Gender, DOB, Nationality, Address, email, Mobile Number)
Click the 'Schemes' tab and apply for the…
Click the 'Schemes' tab and apply for the relevant scheme. Note 1: Nominations open each year in January/February, with the deadline for receipt set at 30th April or the last working day of April. Note 2: Nominations go to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in the prescribed proforma, detailing the nominated sportsperson's past performance in international competitions and their contribution to promoting and developing sport. Note 3: Nominating authorities must certify, on the nomination form itself, that nominees are clear on vigilance/disciplinary grounds and not involved in criminal or morally turpitudinous acts. Note 4: For sportspersons employed by the Central/State Governments/PSUs or private organisations, nominating authorities must obtain a report from the employer before certifying that the nominee is clear on vigilance/disciplinary grounds, including any chargesheet or disciplinary action taken or pending — a copy of this employer report/certificate must accompany the application. Note 5: Nominations from bodies other than National Sports Federations (NSFs) are sent to the concerned NSF for verification of details and achievements, and to check whether the nominee has ever been warned or penalised for unfair practices such as age fraud, sexual harassment, or doping — the NSF must send its verification report within a week of receiving the Ministry's letter. Note 6: Nomination applications should be addressed only to the Director (Sports)/Deputy Secretary (Sports)/Under Secretary (Sports), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the date they reach that office counts as the government's date of receipt. Note 7: Applications received are duly stamped and logged in a register, and all those received within the deadline are acknowledged to the recommending authority. Criteria for giving Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna to Sportspersons - 80 % weightage goes to medals won at International Championships and sporting events within disciplines covered by the Olympic Games (Summer, Winter, and Paralympics), Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games. Each eligible sportsperson earns points for medals won over the preceding 4 years, up to the conclusion of the Olympic, Commonwealth, and Asian Games in years when those Games are held, per the table below: 1. Olympic Games/ Paralympics: Gold: 80, Silver: 70, Bronze: 55. 2. World Championship/World Cup: Gold: 40, Silver: 30, Bronze: 20. (once in 4 years)* 3. Asian Games: Gold: 30, Silver: 25, Bronze: 20. 4. Commonwealth Games: Gold: 25, Silver: 20, Bronze: 15. 1. For World Championship/World Cup of different periodicities, marks are awarded proportionately 2. The Selection Committee decides the equivalence of any sports discipline/tournament not listed above, relative to the categories above, and allots points accordingly. 3. For team events, marks account for team size. If the prescribed marks for an individual event are 'A', team event marks are computed as follows: (i) A team of 2 persons: 1.5 X 'A'/number of persons in the team (ii) A team of 3 or 4 persons: 2 X 'A'/number of persons in the team (iii) A team of 5 to 10 persons: 3 X 'A'/number of persons in the team (iv) A team of more than 10 persons: 5 X 'A'/number of persons in the team 4. The sportsperson with the highest computed points, per the table above, gets 80 marks; the rest are scored proportionately against that person. For example, if a sportsperson 'A' has got the highest points, say 85 points as per the table above, and another sportsperson 'B' has got 80 points as per the table above, then 'A' will get 80 marks and 'B' will get ( 80 x 80/85 ) = 75.30 marks. 5. 20 % weightage goes to marks the Selection Committee assigns after assessing factors such as the profile and standard of the events in which the sportsperson won medals. 6. For cricket and indigenous games not included among Olympic/Asian Games/Commonwealth Games disciplines, the Selection Committee considers individual performances. 7. Only one individual sportsperson is honoured each year, a condition relaxed only in exceptional circumstances recorded in writing. 8. Within a given sports discipline, the Selection Committee considers no more than 2 sportspersons (1 male and 1 female) with the highest marks per the criteria above. 9. Where the Selection Committee feels the given criteria might leave out a deserving sportsperson in a team game, it may recommend that name with full written justification. 10. The Selection Committee recommends the final list of sportsperson(s) for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna based on the marks obtained under the above criteria. 11. The Selection Committee need not mechanically recommend the Award to whoever scores highest across disciplines overall — but within a particular discipline, only the highest aggregate scorer is recommended. 12. The Selection Committee's recommendations go to the Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports for the final decision.
Exclusions / Who Is Not Eligible
No Award will be made for a second time to the same person.
Official Application & Website
Verify the latest eligibility, dates and instructions before applying.