GD Topic - India’s Historic Performance at the Paris Paralympics 2024

Entrance exams for admission to the MBA programme are going on. Candidates planning to pursue MBA, who have given or are yet to take the MBA entrance exam must prepare for the GD Round. Check out the article below for a discussion on India’s Paralympic 2024 Performance.

Group Discussion is the second step in the MBA admission process, entrance exams being the first. Under this round, candidates planning to get admitted to top B-schools for the Management of Business Administration (MBA) course have to express their opinions, ideas, and viewpoints on the given topic. The GD goes on for 20-25 minutes and the judges panel gives a score based on how well candidates listen, analyze, and respond to others' points while contributing meaningfully to the discussion. Performing well in the GD/PI round is crucial as it can give or take your chance of pursuing MBA in your preferred college/university.

Paris Paralympics 2024

Paralympics is the largest international Olympic-style games event for disabled athletes, supervised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). It is conducted after every four years, following the Olympic Games in the same host city. The first Paralympic event was organized in Rome in 1960 and featured 400 athletes from 23 countries. India made its first appearance in the 1968 Summer Paralympics held in Israel. 10 athletes took part in the event, and although India did not win any medals at that time, it gave Indian para-athletes their first significant international exposure. However, India’s performance in the Paralympic Games improved every year, showing tremendous success this year.

The Paralympic Games 2024 took place in Paris from 28 August 2024 to 8 September 2024. The mascot for the Paris Paralympic Games 2024 is Paralympic Phrygian, which is inspired by the Phrygian cap, the symbol of liberty in France. Around 4,400 athletes took part from around the world and competed in 22 sports. China topped the event by winning 94 gold medals, Great Britain finished second by winning 49 golds, and the United States at third with 36 gold medals.

India at Paris Paralympic Games 2024

India’s performance at the Paris Paralympics 2024 was historic and recorded new high achievements with 29 medals – seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze. 84 para-athletes represented India at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024, competing in 12 sports. This year India participated in three new sports; namely, para cycling, para rowing, and blind judo.

Indian Winners at Paris Paralympic 2024

Avani Lekhara won gold for women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 and became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals at the Paralympic Games.
Dharambir and Pranav Soorma got gold and silver respectively, in the men’s club throw F51 event.
Dharambir logged a new Asian record of 34.92m and Praveen Kumar set an Asian record at the high jump T64 title by winning India’s sixth gold medal (India’s highest-ever gold at Paralympics).
Mariyappan Thangavelu won bronze and high jump T42 class and became the first Indian to win medals at three consecutive Paralympic games.
Sumit Antil made history and became the first Indian male para-athlete to defend his title at the Paralympic Games. He defended his Tokyo 2020 Paralympic record and set a new Paralympic record at men’s javelin throw F64 with an excellent throw of 70.59m.
Preethi Pal gave her personal best time till now at the women’s 100m T35 race and won the bronze medal. This was also India’s first medal in a track event at the Paralympic Games.
India won a total of four medals at track events in Paris Paralympics 2024. Deepthi Jeevanji, another bronze medal achiever at track events, became the first intellectually impaired Indian athlete to win a bronze in women’s 400m T20 class at Paralympic Games.
Harvinder Singh became India’s first-ever Paralympic Archery Champion by winning a gold medal.
Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar set a world record in archery compound mixed team qualification event.
Sheetal Devi, herself was so close to setting a world record in the ranking round but came second. However, she made history as India’s youngest Paralympic medalist.

Indian Winner’s List: Paris Paralympics 2024

Athlete	Sport	Event	Medal
Avani Lekhara	Shooting	Women's 10m air rifle standing SH1	Gold
Mona Agarwal	Shooting	Women's 10m air rifle standing SH1	Bronze
Preethi Pal	Athletics	Women's 100m T35	Bronze
Manish Narwal	Shooting	Men's 10m air pistol SH1	Silver
Rubina Francis	Shooting	Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1	Bronze
Preethi Pal	Athletics	Women's 200m T35	Bronze
Nishad Kumar	Athletics	Men's high jump T47	Silver
Yogesh Kathuniya	Athletics	Men's discus throw F56	Silver
Nitesh Kumar	Badminton	Men's singles SL3	Gold
Thulasimathi Murugesan	Badminton	Women’s singles SU5	Silver
Manisha Ramadass	Badminton	Women’s singles SU5	Bronze
Suhas Yathiraj	Badminton	Men’s singles SL4	Silver
Rakesh Kumar / Sheetal Devi	Archery	Mixed team compound open	Bronze
Sumit Antil	Athletics	Javelin throw F64	Gold
Nithya Sre Sivan	Badminton	Women's singles SH6	Bronze
Deepthi Jeevanji	Athletics	Women's 400m T20	Bronze
Mariyappan Thangavelu	Athletics	Men's high jump T63	Bronze
Sharad Kumar	Athletics	Men's high jump T63	Silver
Ajeet Singh	Athletics	Men's javelin throw F46	Silver
Sundar Singh Gurjar	Athletics	Men's javelin throw F46	Bronze
Sachin Khilari	Athletics	Men's shot put F46	Silver
Harvinder Singh	Archery	Men's individual recurve open	Gold
Dharambir	Athletics	Men's club throw F51	Gold
Parnav Soorma	Athletics	Men's club throw F51	Silver
Kapil Parmar	Judo	Men's -60kg J1	Bronze
Praveen Kumar	Athletics	Men's high jump T64	Gold
Hokato Hotozhe Sema	Athletics	Men’s shot put F57	Bronze
Simran	Athletics	Women's 200m T12	Bronze
Navdeep Singh	Athletics	Men's javelin throw F41	Gold

This remarkable achievement underscores the growing potential of India’s para-athletes and the country’s increasing support for para-sports.

India’s Growing Infrastructure for Para-Sports

Over the past years, India has significantly developed its infrastructure to support para-sports. These developments have played a key role in India’s improved performance at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Some of these infrastructural developments include:

Specialized Training Centers: India has established various para-sports academies including the National Centre for Sports Coaching (NCSC) and other facilities under the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Para-athletes are trained at centers like the Paralympic Training Camp in Gandhinagar.
Upgradation of Existing Facilities: Many existing sports facilities are renovated with accessibility features such as tactile paths, ramps, and specialized equipment for para-athletes.
Grassroots Development: Initiatives like Khelo India Para Games have been launched to identify and nurture talent. Additionally, India regularly conducts inter-state and inter-district para-sports events to encourage wider participation.
Introduction of Advanced Equipment: The availability and accessibility to state-of-the-art prosthetics, customized wheelchairs, and adaptive sports equipment in India has improved drastically.
Collaboration and Partnerships: The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has collaborated with the global organization International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to help develop India’s infrastructure according to international standards. Along with this, Indian companies like Ottobock and other foreign collaborators provide advanced prosthetic and training solutions to para-athletes.

Role of Government Policies in Supporting Para-Athletes

The Government of India has introduced several policies and initiatives to support para-athletes. Some of these policies/efforts that have helped in fostering India’s success in sports are as follows:

Paralympic Committee of India (PCI): The PCI, supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports plays a crucial role in organizing national events, conducting trials, and coordinating international participation. The committee ensures that the athletes have the required resources to compete effectively.
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS): It is a flagship program of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports that provides financial assistance, international exposure, specialized coaching, and sports science support to para-athletes.
Reservation Policies: The Indian Government has given special reservations to para-athletes to provide them access to government jobs and educational opportunities to recognize their achievements.
Financial Incentives and Awards: The Government of India provides significant cash rewards to the medalists at international events, encouraging participation. Besides, provisions under the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) support the athletes financially,
Inclusion of Disability in Sports Policy: According to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, “The sports authorities shall accord due recognition to the right of persons with disabilities to participate in sports and shall make due provisions for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in their schemes and programmes for the promotion and development of sporting talents.”
Infrastructure Development Programmes: Various infrastructure development programmes have been initiated to create accessible sports complexes and stadiums across states.
Awareness Campaigns: The Sports Authority of India (SAI) started campaigns like Cheer for India during the Paralympic events to highlight para-athletes’ achievements and inspire public support.

The above discussion shows India’s historic performance at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Indian athletes’ achievements signify much more than a milestone. Their performance represents the nation’s commitment to inclusivity and empowerment and reflects a broader shift towards recognizing every individual’s potential irrespective of their abilities. However, to maintain this momentum, India must keep making efforts, including, increased investments in training facilities, better access to advanced equipment, and widespread awareness campaigns to build a more inclusive sports culture.

Top Group Discussion (GD) Topics for MBA GD/PI Round

Below listed are some of the important GD Topics for reference.