GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
(DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)

RAJYASABHA
UN STARRED QUESTION NO 891
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.03.2010
Guidelines regarding sports association

891. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:
Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state:
(a)       whether a Delhi Court has recently declared the election of office bearers of a sports organization namely National Rifle Association of India, illegal;
(b)       if so, the reasons therefore;
(c)        whether it is a fact that there are many sports bodies in the country having office bearers functioning beyond two consecutive terms, in violation of their by-laws and general guidelines issued by Government in this behalf; and
(d)          if so, steps proposed by Government to ensure that all sports bodies in the country follow their by-laws and Government's guidelines relating to their functioning?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
(SHRI PRATIK PRAKASHBAPU PATIL)

(a) & (b): Yes, Sir. Delhi High Court has recently restrained the office bearers of National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) from holding the office, as they, were continuing beyond the two tenure limit.

(c) & (d ): As per the Govt. Guidelines issued in 1975 the office bearers of National Sports Federations (NSFs) shall not hold office consecutively for more than two terms or eight years. Further, it stipulates that an office bearer to be re-elected for the
second term, should not have secured less than two third votes of the members. The definition of office bearers for the purpose of these guidelines includes the President, the Secretary/Secretary General and the Treasurer.
Due to strong opposition to the implementation of tenure restriction, from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and NSFs, the said instructions have been kept in abeyance since October, 2001. As such, the tenure restriction is not being applied to IOA and NSFs at present. However, it is a fact that office bearers in many NSFs including IOA, are continuing beyond the two tenure limit. In a few case, affected parties have challenged such continuation in various Court of Law. In one such case, the Court has passed an injunction against office bearers who have crossed the two tenure limit, from holding the office. In another case also, whether the action of a federation, of removing tenure restriction from their constitution was challenged, the Court made several observations, including the need for Government to enforce its own guidelines more effectively. In addition to these cases, recently in a Public Interest Litigation several issues concerning mismanagement of NSFs, including flagrant violation of the tenure restriction, have been raised.
In view of the above developments, the Government is seized of the concerned raised from various quarters, on the tenure issue, and is in the process of reviewing the whole matter, in consultation with all stakeholders, including sports bodies.