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Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Sports ministry wants to revamp Association of Indian Universities after introduction of National Sports Governance Bill
Association of Indian Universities (AIU), the body responsible for university-level sport in the country, has come under the scanner of the Sports Ministry following allegations of 'mismanagement and incompetence' at the ongoing World University Games in Germany. The Ministry wants to revamp the organisation after introduction of the National Sports Governance Bill in Parliament on Wednesday. The bronze-winning Indian badminton squad at the ongoing Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, found itself in controversy when it came to light that six of the 12 chosen players were barred from participating after Indian officials failed to submit all names correctly during the managers' meeting on July 16. 'It is clear that the body is unable to manage University sports. University sports is our best bet to create world-class athletes and still there are so many gaps leading to mismanagement,' a sports ministry source said. 'A revamp is needed and the solution is to have a proper functioning federation instead of nodal bodies to operate University sports,' the source added. While AIU and Sports Games Federation of India (SGFI) are not counted as National Sports Federations (NSFs), they remain the representative bodies for events like World University Games conducted by International University Sports Federation. Apart from the badminton gaffe, athletics also suffered as names were removed from the start list at the last moment. Quarter-miler Devyaniba Zala took to Instagram to point out that her name went missing from the start list at the last moment. 'I was told that I will run in 400m and Relays when they selected me for the University Games. However, my name was not present in the start list for the 400m due to the causal approach,' Zala told The Indian Express over a phone call. 'I was in good shape to run my personal best and have been preparing for this event for a long time,' she added. Similar to Zala, Federation Cup silver medalist Seema couldn't compete in the 10,000m event as her name was missing too from the entry list. Fined for Jersey Infringement Adding to the selection blunders, AIU was also fined 1000 euros for flouting the jersey regulations in badminton. As per the BWF rules, the last name, as recorded in the BWF database, and if desired, the initials of first name can be printed on the back of a jersey. The same rule was followed at the 2025 World University Games. However, in a violation of the rule, the Indian jerseys had full names of the players printed on the back. 'This is gross negligence and ignorance,' a player said on the condition of anonymity. The efforts to reach AIU officials via phone and text went unanswered.
Hans India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
National Sports Governance Bill drafted with inputs from IOC, NSFs & international federations: Mandaviya
New Delhi: Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said the National Sports Governance Bill, which will be tabled in the Parliament during next week's monsoon session, has been drafted with inputs from international organisations such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the FIFA, in addition to extensive consultations with National Sports Federations, athletes and coaches. Last October, the National Sports Governance Bill was placed in the public domain for inviting comments/suggestions of the general public and the stakeholders as a part of pre-legislative consultation process. Speaking at the inauguration of Khelo Bharat Conclave, Sports Minister Mandaviya said, "I conducted a series of consultations with National Sports Federations, athletes and coaches. We also engaged with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and various international sports federations. Additionally, we received over 600 public suggestions when the draft was made available online for feedback." "To ensure a well-rounded approach, I held a detailed three-hour meeting with sports lawyers to understand their perspective because we want to bring good governance in the sports sector of the country. "There was a query from FIFA. So, I sent a special officer to the headquarters of FIFA. Go and discuss with him. We had a discussion with him. And after that, a sports bill has been prepared, which I will bring it to the parliament in the next session," he added. The bill seeks to provide for the development and promotion of sports, welfare measures for sportspersons, ethical practices in sports, and matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, through good governance practices. It will also be responsible for establishing institutional capacity and prudential standards for the governance of sports federations that are based on basic universal principles of good governance, ethics and fair play of the Olympic and sports movement, the Olympic Charter, the Paralympic Charter, international best practices and established legal standards. The bill also proposes to establish measures for the resolution of sports grievances and sports disputes in a unified, equitable and effective manner.
Hans India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
National Sports Governance Bill to be tabled in Parliament
New Delhi: Thelong-delayed National Sports Governance Bill will be tabled in the Parliament in this upcoming Monsoon Session, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, announced here on Monday. The bill, which has been in the process since October 2024, aims to ensure transparency, fairness and good governance in the country's sports ecosystem. 'The bill will be tabled in the Parliament during the upcoming session. I will give more details in a couple of days,' Dr Mandaviya told the media at an event launching the Department of Youth Affairs' initiatives against drug addiction. The bill aims to establish a regulatory board, called the Sports Regulatory Board of India, with the authority to grant recognition and allocate funding to National Sports Federations (NSFs) based on their adherence to provisions related to good governance. It has been debated for a long and kept pending because of opposition by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which has termed its provisions as interference by the government in the functioning of the NSFs, which contravenes provisions of the Olympic Charter. The draft National Sports Governance Bill 2024 proposes the setting up of Ethics Commissions and Dispute Resolution Commissions to ensure transparency in governance. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had started the consultation process on the National Sports Governance Bill, 2024 by putting it in the public domain in October 2024, seeking suggestions/comments on its provisions. The bill also proposes setting up some regulations for the National Olympic Committee, which is the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). It says that the NOC shall comply with all requirements applicable to it under this Bill and such additional eligibility criteria for recognition as may be prescribed by the Central Government under this Bill shall ensure that its constitution incorporates and complies with all the requirements specified in this Bill as applicable to it and any rules prescribed by the Central Government in relation thereto from time to time. The IOA has objected to such provisions, claiming that its constitution will only adhere to provisions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Charter. Many NSFs, too, have opposed some provisions of this bill as they go against the regulations of the International Sports Federations (IFs).
New Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Balaji elected RFI president after court modifies order
CHENNAI: After volleyball, it's Rowing Federation of India's turn for its stalled election process to get completed. As expected, Balaji Maradapa of Tamil Nadu has been elected the president while Subhasish Mukherjee of Bengal has been elected the secretary general. Maradapa beat Harpal Singh comprehensively. He will be replacing out-going RFI president Rajalakshmi Singh Deo, who finished 12 years in office, and Mukherjee will replace MV Sriram (two terms). Chiranjit Phukan is the treasurer. RFI got the green signal from the Delhi High Court to declare results for the elections condited in February 2024. With Olympics 2036 in mind, India cannot afford to have too many court cases on governance issues of National Sports Federations. Maradapa has been involved with the sport for more than three decades and felt he had the edge because of his personal relationships within the rowing fraternity. 'I know everyone in rowing personally and have been part of the federation for nearly 38 years,' he told this daily on Friday. But the new president has acknowledged that there will be bigger challenges because of the limited time they have for the Asian Games first (next year) and the Olympic qualification period for LA28. 'It is going to be a big responsibility,' he said. 'More than one year there has been no federation so things need to be in order soon. The Asian Games is next year and we barely have a year to prepare. The Olympic Games is just three years away. So we needed to be back and start preparing for these big events. We must keep our Olympic bid also in mind. I think we will do better than before at the next Games.' He is a qualified coach and said he had trained national medallists and international players.
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Row over voter list revision
Good morning, India entered the second Test of the England series with unusual team picks. The decision to leave out a seasoned player like Kuldeep Yadav, especially in the absence of fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah, for a lesser spinner, Washington Sundar, has made one thing clear: Team India is looking to score runs and not take wickets. However, Shubman Gill, facing criticism for the puzzling selections, silenced the doubters with his bat. At the end of Day 1 in Birmingham, he remained unbeaten on 114 from 216 balls. As National Sports Editor Sandeep Dwivedi put it, it was truly worthy of being called a captain's knock. Aside from Gill and his 99-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja, the top order collapsed quickly. Much now rests on the reshuffled lower order. Also read: Is India's decision not to play Bumrah and Yadav a smart punt or unwisely defensive move? Dwivedi writes. On that note, let's get to the rest of today's edition. The Election Commission (EC)'s revision of Bihar's electoral rolls, which will eventually cover the rest of India, has caused a stir in political circles. Ten Opposition parties of the INDIA bloc have written to the EC, stating that the exercise could 'disenfranchise 2-3 crore voters in the state'. They warned that people would struggle to produce documents required to prove their citizenship on such short notice. Notably, the 'special intensive revision' began on June 25, and the final electoral roll will be published on September 30. Bihar is due for state elections before November. Challenges: In addition to the Opposition, BJP's NDA allies in the state have also expressed concerns over the exercise despite publicly backing it. Some wonder if the EC can complete the revision quickly, ensuring no genuine voter is left out. Others have flagged that voters may not be motivated to do the extra legwork of finding the documents since a voter ID was not linked to any government benefits. The process: Voters must fill out an enumeration form when a Block Level Officer visits their home. Those added to the electoral roll after January 1, 2003, must also provide proof of citizenship. The EC initiated this revision considering the large-scale additions and deletions to the electoral rolls in the last 20 years. The frequent migration of populations may have also resulted in potential duplicate entries. The site of The Beatles' spiritual awakening, the Chaurasi Kutiya ashram, famously known as the Beatles Ashram, is due for a makeover. The revamp of the ashram, located inside the Rajaji National Park in Rishikesh, became a matter of departmental tussle, documents obtained by The Indian Express under the Right to Information Act show. The Uttarakhand Finance department had flagged the state Tourism department's selection of Bimal Patel-led and Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt Ltd for the project. Though the Finance department eventually cleared it, it set certain conditions. Read on. No go: As it carves out a trade deal with Washington, New Delhi has set 'red lines' on certain farm products on which it imposes both tariff and non-tariff restrictions on these goods. These include corn, ethanol, soybeans and dairy. My colleague Harish Damodaran takes a closer look at each of these sectors and why India may resist allowing greater access to the US. Cutting delays: Several files pertaining to inter-ministerial subjects like national policies and schemes remain pending with the central ministers. For the first time, the Cabinet Secretariat has sent letters to their offices, asking them to clear the backlog as soon as possible. Read up: Since the 1990s, Kerala has become India's most literate state. Under the Centre's 2022 literacy programme, Mizoram has pipped the southern state into India's 'first fully literate state'. How did the state achieve this milestone? Sukrita Baruah reports. Pool in? A land pooling policy in Punjab, which aims to pool over 40,000 acres of farmland for housing purposes, has run into trouble. Though the policy envisions voluntary participation from landowners, critics argue that it needlessly diverts fertile agricultural land for urban use. Read more about the policy and its criticisms. 🎧 For more details, tune in to today's '3 Things' podcast episode. Zooom…: Your bike taxis are safe for now! New guidelines from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have allowed states to permit the commercial use of non-transport motor vehicles. Ride aggregators like Rapido, Ola, and Uber have faced flak for using white-plate, privately registered motorcycles as bike taxis. However, customers have embraced the ride option for cheaper travel costs and reduced travel time in some cases. Sean 'Diddy' Combs, a hip-hop mogul, captivated the world's attention for the past few months for all the wrong reasons. Combs was arrested on several charges in September 2024 after two of his former girlfriends alleged that he forced them to partake in drug-fueled sex parties. A flurry of criticism — and memes — flooded the Internet in the months after. On Wednesday, Combs was cleared of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, but was found guilty of lesser prostitution-related offences. Combs continues to remain in jail and faces a potential 20-year prison sentence. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
