Dronacharya Award: Delhi HC issues notice to Centre over exclusion of Jagrup Rathi's name
Nov 12, 2021
New Delhi [India], November 12 : The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to Centre and others on a petition filed by wrestling coach Jagrup Singh Rathi for the exclusion of his name from the Dronacharya Award in Lifetime Category 2021.
Justice Rekha Palli asked the Centre, Selection Committee for Sports Award 2021 and Sports Authority of India to reply to the petition filed by Rathi.
Rathi was represented by Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra and his petition was filed by Advocate R Arunadhri Iyer.
"The petitioner has challenged the order dated 2.11.2021 of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Union of India, whereby the ministry has awarded the Dronacharya Award (Lifetime Category) for the year 2021 while excluding the Petitioner Rathi, despite the Petitioner being found meritorious by the Selection Committee," reads the petition.
It further reads, "The Petitioner claimed that he is a highly qualified and experienced coach for the sport of wrestling, having been a coach for over 43 years, and having even been the Chief Coach for Olympics team for India in 1984. The Petitioner is an Arjuna awardee and Gold Medallist in the Commonwealth Games in 1974 has trained over 40 wrestlers that have fetched medals at international events. Ten of the Petitioner's disciples have been awarded the Arjuna award in the past, and two of his disciples have even been awarded the Dronacharya Award itself."
The petitioner has sought to issue a direction to the Centre to publish all records, including comparative tabular charts containing points of all sportspersons, etc under the scheme on its official website.
The petitioner has also sought to call of the records and quash of the decision dated 2.11.2021 of the Centre whereby the Petitioner was excluded from the award of the Dronacharya Award (Lifetime Category) for the sport of wrestling for the year 2021.
The petitioner has also sought to issue direction to additionally confer the Dronacharya Award (Lifetime Category) for the year 2021 to the Petitioner for his performance as a coach based on merit as per the Scheme introduced in compliance with the orders of this Court in the peculiar facts and circumstances of the present matter.
The petitioner has also sought to lay down a proper time schedule for the declaration of the Dronacharya Award and other Sports Awards in future, viz., by the end of May of every year so as to provide reasonable time and opportunity to elite sportspersons in this regard.
