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Putting an end to the practice of politicians perennially sitting at the helm of national sports bodies, the government on Sunday limited their tenures in line with international norms. The decision that comes into immediate effect, the government stated here.
The term of the president of a national sports federation including the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) presided by Suresh Kalmadi has been fixed at 12 years with or without break, while that of a secretary and treasurer at eight years at a stretch. Suresh Kalmadi has been at IOA's helm since 1996.
If a secretary and treasurer want re-election, they could run for it after a gap of four years. In case of office bearers, who are duly elected in their current posts, the new tenure limits will be applicable once their current term comes to an end, said the statement from ministry of youth affairs and sports.
The move is expected to dislodge many politicians from their positions in sports bodies once their current terms end.
BJP leader VK Malhotra is heading the Archery Association of India for more than 30 years, while Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's term as the Cycling Federation of India head is into its 14th year. Congress leader Captain Satish K Sharma heads the Aero Club for more than two decades, while businessman B S Adityan has been at the top of the Volleyball Federation of India for 12 years.
The ministry said the internationally accepted practice of imposing limits on the tenure of office bearers of sporting bodies is a critical ingredient of good governance. "It prevents development of vested interests in the management of sporting bodies, which perform critical public functions in the field of sports," the ministry said.
Earlier attempts by the government to fix the terms of office bearers were unsuccessful because of strong protests from these bodies, the ministry admitted. But now the Delhi High court, which is hearing a public interest litigation on the delay in enforcing such limits, has directed the government to clarify its stand. The matter will be heard again on May 5. The ministry said that the court has taken a serious note of the matter and has expressed deep concern at the long indecisiveness of the government on this critical issue, which impacts the functioning of bodies.
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