In New Delhi, the Delhi High Court ruled on Thursday to overturn the Sports Ministry’s designation of Yogasana Bharat as the National Sport Federation for Yogasana. The court found that the federation failed to meet the ‘mandatory eligibility criteria’ outlined in the Sports Code.
Event Context
On November 27, 2020, the court noted that the federation in question had only been in existence for three months at the time of its recognition, while the Sports Code stipulates a minimum requirement of three years. Additionally, the federation lacked any affiliated units from States or Union Territories, a necessary condition under the Sports Code, and had not conducted the mandated National Championships for the required duration prior to its recognition.
The Delhi High Court referred to Annexure II of the Sports Code, which outlines the eligibility standards for a National Sports Federation. Specifically, Clauses 3.3, 3.4, and 3.8 are relevant here. Clause 3.3 states that an organization must have three years of active operation. Yogasana Bharat was officially registered on August 21, 2020, and the recognition letter was dated November 27, 2020, indicating that the organization had only been established for roughly three months—falling short by thirty-three months, which the court described as a significant gap rather than a mere minor oversight.
Regarding the requirement to hold national championships, the court highlighted that Clause 3.8 necessitates the administration of three consecutive National Championships across Senior, Junior, and Sub-Junior levels for both men and women in the three years leading up to recognition. Yogasana Bharat had not organized any national championships prior to receiving its recognition, resulting in a complete deficit in this area.
Furthermore, the Sports Code mandates that a federation must have affiliated units in at least two-thirds of the States and Union Territories. However, Yogasana Bharat had no such affiliations at the time of its recognition.
The Yoga Federation of India, established in 1974, filed a petition claiming it meets the criteria for recognition as a National Sports Federation (NSF) and had sought recognition from the Sports Ministry in December 2019.
The court stated that the designation of ‘National Sports Federation’ for the sport rests solely with the Sports Ministry, which is tasked with carrying out a new recognition process in light of this ruling.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav ordered the Sports Ministry to solicit new applications from eligible organizations for the recognition of Yoga/Yogasana as a NSF within 60 days. The recognition process should be conducted promptly and in accordance with legal guidelines.
Team Analysis
In a ruling from the High Court, the court stated, ‘The recognition letter dated November 27, 2020, issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, which designated Yogasana Bharat as the National Sports Federation for Yogasana, along with the speaking order dated October 19, 2021, issued following this Court’s directives, are hereby annulled and rendered void.’
