CHENNAI: In a shocking revelation, the sports ministry has said that eight complaints of sexual harassment have been filed against administrative staff of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and some 25 against their coaches. The sports ministry while replying to a question in the Lok Sabha on Monday said those were the figures in the last 10 years in SAI. However, according to the reply, no complaints have been filed against sports ministry officials.
Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya replied to questions posed by Members of Parliament Adhikari Deepak Dev and Raja Ram Singh. They had asked for the details of total number of complaints regarding sexual harassment received against officials, coaches and support staff associated with the Ministry, the SAI, affiliated National Sports Federations (NSFs), SAI Centres and other sports institution during the last ten years and the current year, State/UT and discipline-wise.
In reply, the sports minister said that there were eight complaints against administrative staff. Out of the eight, in one case the penalty was “Permanent withholding of full gratuity as per Rule 9 of CCS (Pension) Rules 1972”. While others cases were closed without penalty.
When it comes to coaches, the number of complaints increased considerably and the number, according to the reply, stood at 25. There have been instances when athletes have raised complaints in recent times. In the cases of coaches, there were two terminations and six suspensions. There were six minor penalties. Interestingly, no appeal was filed against administrative staff penalties. In the case of coaches, “eight appeals have been filed by the complainant or the accused against the decisions/recommendations of the inquiry committees”.
The reply also said that pursuant to the enactment of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) (POSH) Act, 2013, the provisions of the POSH Act 2013 are applicable to all NSFs recognised by the sports ministry. And all of them have constituted the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), said the ministry.
Sports goods manufacturing
The funds allocated for promotion of sports good manufacturing is yet to be utilised as of now. According to a Lok Sabha reply, the sports ministry said that the scheme will be finalised after consulting all stakeholders. The ministry said that the scheme's aim is to develop a robust and globally competitive sports manufacturing ecosystem in the country. "The scheme seeks to promote innovation, strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities, and enhance the global competitiveness of Indian sports goods," said the ministry. However, it will be finalised only after consultations with various stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and effective framework for the sector.