Government Officials to go Paragliding to Learn Risk Taking

Centre asks all its employees to participate in adventure sports to foster the spirit of risk-taking and team work.

File photo of a paraglider. (Photo: Reuters)

To foster the spirit of risk-taking and team work, the Centre has asked all its employees to participate in adventure sports like rock climbing and paragliding. The expenses for the activities will be borne by the government.

The Centre’s move for promoting adventure sports among the employees is also aimed at tackling “the alarming situation of stress and impact of sedentary life” on them.

It would create and foster the spirit of risk taking, cooperative team work, capacity of readiness and vital response to challenging situations and endurance.

<b>Department of Personnel and Training Statement</b>

As per the scheme, the DoPT will sponsor programmes for five to seven days by six institutes including,
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports in Manali, Himachal Pradesh
Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir
National Institute of Water Sports, Vasco da Gama, Goa
Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi

The activities under the programme will include trekking, mountaineering, rock-climbing, cycling in a difficult terrain, skiing, surfing, boat sailing, snorkelling, rafting, para sailing, ballooning, paragliding, jungle safari, desert safari, beach trekking and environmental awareness camps.

An expense of up to Rs 20,000 will be reimbursed by the government, besides grant of special casual leave to the employees to help them participate in these activities.

Financial assistance of 100 per cent of programme fee would be provided in a calendar year to two officials of each ministry or department. These will be officers who have been awarded for excellence in service and nominated for the programme, the DoPT order said.