HC slams bureaucracy on Arjuna awards

Castigating bureaucratic 'grip' over national awards, the Delhi high court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre and Sports Authority of India, seeking their replies on why this year's Arjuna awards for lifetime achievements to two persons should not be stayed.

Expressing concern over the manner in which selections for the award were made, Justice Mukul Mudgal also issued notices to Rachna Govil and Kalpana Devanath, whose nominations for the lifetime achievement award was was challenged by reigning Asian discus throw champion Anil Kumar on the ground that they both did not have any remarkable achievement to their credit.

"It is obvious the bureaucracy has taken a grip over the national awards, which should be given only to the outstanding players," Justice Mudgal observed after perusing the bio-datas and achievements of Govil and Devanath, which were placed before the court by senior advocate Amrender Sharan, appointed as amicus curiea (lawyer to assist the court).

While directing standing counsel Upamanyu Hazarika and the SAI lawyer to file their replies by September 18, the next date of hearing on Kumar's applications, the court ordered the Union Sports Ministry to produce entire records related to recommendations received by it for conferring the Arjuna awards on various sportspersons.

The court fixed the next hearing for September 18, after confirming with Hazarika whether the ceremony for presentation of the Arjuna awards was fixed before that date or not.

The court said if the allegations levelled in the petition by Kumar are correct, it would have adverse affect on the entire sports system and harm the cause of good sportspersons.

Sharan, reading out from the bio-data of Govil, presently a deputy director with the SAI, said the only notable achievement to her credit "is second best national record in 3,000 metres race in Open National athletic meet, held in Lucknow in 1981".

Similarly, Devanath had "nothing remarkable to show to her credit, except participation in some national meet and one or two appearances at Asian sports meet, but had not achieved any medal," he said.

The court, on August 24, had issued notice to the Centre and SAI on Kumar's main petition, challenging the policy on national awards. The court, in that petition, had given time, till October 18, to the government and SAI to file replies.

Kumar, in his main petition, alleged that the awards are being manipulated and doled out to undeserving persons.

Government counsel on the previous hearing had stated that Govil was being given the Arjuna award for her lifetime achievement in promotion of sports in the country.

The court sought a specific reply from the government whether a sports administrator could be considered for the Arjuna award.

Kumar, who had said he was not considered for the award despite various achievements, alleged that the existing policy on national awards was "incomprehensive and vague" and was being manipulated by sports officials. He also sought laying down of a concrete policy for selection of sportspersons for the awards.

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