The National Human Rights Commission, India, on Thursday, issued notices to a host of national sports federations, as well as the Union Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India, for failing to adhere to the requirements stated by the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013.

According to the PoSH Act, sports bodies are required to have an Internal Complaints Committee. A recent report by
The Indian Express revealed that 16 of 30 national sports federations do not fulfil the mandatory criteria, either by not meeting the required stipulations or by not having an ICC altogether.

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With this in mind, the NHRC has issued notices to all the federations failing to adhere to the mandate, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Wrestling Federation of India.

“(The NHRC) has issued notices to the (i) Secretary, Department of Sports, Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, (ii) the Sports Authority of India, SAI (iii) the Board Of Control For Cricket In India, BCCI, (iv) Wrestling Federation of India, and all the 15 other National Sports Federations of Handball, Volleyball, Basketball, Weightlifting, Yachting, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Billiards & Snooker, Kayaking & Canoeing, Judo, Squash, Triathlon, Kabaddi, Badminton, Archery, mentioned in the news report, which either do not have even an ICC or properly functional ICCs as required in the law,” read a statement published on the NHRC website.

“They have been asked to submit detailed reports within 4 weeks including the present status of the ICC in their organization as well as the steps taken or proposed to be taken to address the issue.”

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Since April 23, some of India’s top wrestlers – including but not limited to, Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, and three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat – have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, asking for the removal of WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The athletes have demanded legal action against the federation chief for allegedly sexually harassing several women athletes.

Subsequently, the Delhi Police have filed two first information reports against Singh, a BJP MP from Kaiserganj, but he has refused to step down from his post.

The Indian Olympic Association has set up an ad-hoc committee to run the wrestling federation. Rifle coach Suma Shirur and Bhupender Singh Bajwa are members of the committee. The committee also includes a retired high court judge who is yet to be appointed.

NHRC’s full statement

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that there is no Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in the Wrestling Federation of India(WFI) as mandated by the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013. Reportedly, the wrestling body is not the only one not having duly constituted ICC. In addition to it, there are as many as 15 of the 30 National Sports Federations who do not meet this mandatory requirement.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a violation of a law, and thus is a matter of concern as it may impact the legal right and dignity of the sports persons. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the (i) Secretary, Department of Sports, Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, (ii) the Sports Authority of India,SAI (iii) the Board Of Control For Cricket In India, BCCI(iv) Wrestling Federation of India, and all the 15 other National Sports Federations of Handball, Volleyball, Basketball, Weightlifting, Yachting, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Billiards & Snooker, Kayaking & Canoeing, Judo, Squash, Triathlon, Kabaddi, Badminton, Archery, mentioned in the news report, which either do not have even an ICC or properly functional ICCs as required in the law. They have been asked to submit detailed reports within 4 weeks including the present status of the ICC in their organization as well as the steps taken or proposed to be taken to address the issue.

According to the media report, carried on 4th May, 2023, five Federations, including the Wrestling Federation, do not even have an ICC. Four Federations do not have the stipulated number of members and another six Federations lacked the mandatory external members. It is also stated that one Federation had two panels but neither had an independent member.