Supreme Court Extends Time To File Objections To Draft Constitution Of Indian Olympic Association For Two Weeks
The Supreme Court on Monday extended the time to file objections to the draft constitution of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) framed under the supervision of Justice L Nageswara Rao for a period of two weeks. The bench further stated that all objections to the Draft constitution should be made to Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj who was then given the responsibility of collating...
The Supreme Court on Monday extended the time to file objections to the draft constitution of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) framed under the supervision of Justice L Nageswara Rao for a period of two weeks. The bench further stated that all objections to the Draft constitution should be made to Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj who was then given the responsibility of collating all objections and submitting the same before the Apex Court by the next hearing of the matter. The matter has been listed next for August 11, 2023.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice Manoj Misra was hearing a special leave petition against a 2022 Delhi High Court order putting the affairs of the Indian Olympic Association in the hands of a Committee of Administrators, and other connected matters. Observing that the legal regime apropos sports administration in India had to be implemented fully and effectively, the Delhi High Court had passed this order, in accordance with the top court’s decision in All India Football Federation v. Rahul Mehra (2022).
In the last hearing, the Apex Court had orally reminded the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) that it was obligated to comply with a draft constitution framed under the supervision of the top court and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), pending its finalisation.
These orders can be traced back to a 2010 public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by one Rahul Mehra, an advocate and a sports enthusiast, who, inter alia, sought strict compliance by the Indian Olympic Association and other national sports federations with the comprehensive National Sports Development Code of India (NSDCI), 2011, also known as Sports Code. This culminated in an order by a Delhi High Court bench of Justices Najmi Waziri and Manmohan handing over the control of the IOA to a Committee of Administrators. The division bench had also stated that if a sports federation did not comply with the law of the land, it would receive no recognition from the government and the benefits and facilities to it would stop promptly.
In September of last year, the apex court appointed former Supreme Court judge L Nageswara Rao to take over the process of amending the Indian Olympic Association’s constitution, preparing its electoral rolls, and conducting elections to its executive body. Another bench headed by Justice Chandrachud (as he was then) pronounced:
“...Accordingly, we request Justice L Nageswara Rao, former judge of this Court to take up the assignment in the interest of ensuring a fair and development-oriented approach for the future of Olympic sports in India. The judge would be at liberty to fix his fees in consultation with the IOA. The amendments to the Constitution may be placed before this court. Simultaneously, the preparation of the electoral college and election schedule can also proceed to take place.”
Case Title: Indian Olympic Association v. Union Of India & Ors SLP(C) No. 14533/2022