The Indian Government on Monday promised to facilitate development and promotion of sports, particularly rural sports, and said it will launch a National Sports Talent Search System.

Addressing the first joint sitting of Parliament after the recent Lok Sabha polls, President Pranab Mukherjee said the new government will also formulate a National Education Policy and set up IITs and IIMs in every state.

The President said children and youth of the country need avenues of recreation that develop them constructively and keep them fit.

“My government will launch a ‘National Sports Talent Search System’. It will facilitate development and promotion of Indian sports, particularly rural sports.

“Sports will be popularised by making it an integral part of the school curriculum and providing educational incentives,” he said.

Maintaining that India is the world’s oldest civilisation and today it is also a country with the largest population of the youth, the President said government must equip and nurture the youth with the right kind of education, skill-set and opportunity to reap this demographic dividend.