Will appoint a neutral person to run administration of IOA: SC

International Olympic Committee on the issue. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on September 8 issued a final warning to IOA to "resolve its governance issues" and hold elections by December, failing which the world sports body will ban India.

The executive board of the IOC, which met in Lausanne, Switzerland had also decided not to recognise any "acting/interim president" after Narinder Batra's ouster as Indian Olympic Association president and said it will deal with secretary general Rajeev Mehta as the main point of contact. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hima Kohli asked the secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to interact with the Director of Olympic Solidarity and NOC Relations in the International Olympic Committee.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, suggested that a former judge of the Supreme Court may be appointed for amending the Constitution of the Indian Olympic Committee, preparing an electoral college, and conducting elections. "The second suggestion is that the governance of administration may be entrusted to a neutral person who shall coordinate with the International Olympic Committee in terms of the letter dated September 8, 2022, of IOC.

"The IOC has proposed a joint meeting on September 27, 2022, in Lausanne and it is necessary that a person shall coordinate with the IOC in close consultation. To facilitate this exercise, we have requested the Solicitor General and indicated that the secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs And Sports interact with the Director of Olympic Solidarity and NOC Relations in the International Olympic Committee and revert to this court on the next date of listing," the bench said.