Min explains high pay of foreign coaches

New Delhi, December 15

Indian coaches have long been demanding pay parity with foreign coaches. Almost all Indian coaches involved with various Olympics disciplines have either complained officially or registered their grouses with their respective federations over the issue.

However, a clarification by the Sports Ministry in Parliament today, citing “demand-supply” and “prevailing market rates”, has made it obvious that the disparity in salaries is going to stay,

Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh, the former cricketer, had asked in an unstarred question whether Indian coaches were likely to be provided emoluments and other facilities at par with the foreign coaches. The Sports Ministry, replying on behalf of Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, said: “The emoluments and facilities provided to Indian Coaches are as per the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) recommendations, and the terms laid down in the contractual agreements in respect of the contractual coaches.”

“As far as Foreign Coaches are concerned, they are appointed as per the recommendations of the concerned NSFs on the basis of demand-supply scenario of international coaches, prevailing market rates in comparable cases, qualifications/experiences, and last pay drawn. Emoluments may vary across disciplines depending on the demand-supply scenario in that sport,” it added.

The ministry clarified that the salaries of the Indian coaches have been revised as per the recommendations of the 7th CPC. Now the monthly salary of a contractual assistant coach is Rs 50,300, that of a coach is Rs 1,05,000, while a senior coach earns Rs 1,25,000 and a chief coach makes Rs 1,65,000 per month.