$~103&104
*	IN  THE  HIGH  COURT  OF  DELHI  AT  NEW  DELHI
							  Date of Decision: 12.02.2026
+ 	W.P.(C) 3165/2022 and 	CM APPL. 9192/2022, CM APPL. 20434/2022
	
     KARNATAKA JUDO ASSOCIATION AND ANR.   .....Petitioners
Through:	Mr. Akshay Ringe, Ms. Megha Mukerjee, Mr. Suyash Darade, Mr. Ravi Sharma Advocates.

				versus

	JUDO FEDERATION OF INDIA AND ORS.	    .....Respondents

Through:	Mr Bharat Gupta and Mr Amit Gupta, Advs. for R-1.
	Mr. Vinay Yadav, CGSC with Mr. Ansh Kalra, Ms. Kamna Behrani and Mr. Neeraj P. Raj, Advs. for UoI.

+ 	W.P.(C) 3307/2022 and CM APPL. 9641/2022
	BOMBAY JUDO ASSOCIATION			.....Petitioner
Through:	Mr. Rohan J. Alva, Ms. Geetika Kapur, Mr. Anant Sanghi, Ms. Divyanshi Goel, Mr. Abhay Gupta, Advocates

				versus

	JUDO FEDERATION OF INDIA & ANR.		.....Respondents

Through:	Mr Bharat Gupta and Mr Amit Gupta, Advs. for R-1.
Mr. Vinay Yadav, CGSC with Mr. Ansh Kalra, Ms. Kamna Behrani and Mr. Neeraj P. Raj, Advs. for UoI.

CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE PURUSHAINDRA KUMAR KAURAV

     JUDGEMENT
         
PURUSHAINDRA KUMAR KAURAV, J. (ORAL)
1. Of the two writ petitions, W.P.(C) 3165/2022 is filed by Karnataka Judo Association and Anr., and W.P. (C) 3307/2022 is filed by Bombay Judo Association. Karnataka Judo Association prays for changes in the governing body of the common respondent no. 1-Judo Federation of India [‘JFI’], whereas, Bombay Judo Federation seeks restoration of the privileges enjoyed by it in JFI until the year 2018. 
2. Vide order dated 02.06.2022, in W.P.(C) 3165/2022, the Court appointed Jus. (Retd.) Pankaj Naqvi, as Administrator of JFI with the mandate to undertake review of its existing constitution and bringing it in line with the National Sports Code, 2011 and to take preparatory steps towards holding elections to the Executive Committee.
3. The Administrator has finalised a draft of the constitution and had presented it for the approval of the Court. No doubt, steps have been taken towards the conducting the elections. However, for various reasons, the ultimate objective of electing a valid governing body and handing over administration of JFI to the same, have not yet been achieved.  Learned counsel for the Administrator submits that the elections may be conducted only after the draft constitution is approved.  
4. In the interregnum, the Parliament has enacted the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 [‘NSG Act’], for development and promotion of sports and for aligning national sports governing bodies with global governance standards. Further, vide notice dated 28.01.2026, the Government of India notified the National Sports Governance (National Sports Bodies) Rules, 2026 w.e.f. 12.01.2026. The NSG Act and Rules framed thereunder lay down a statutory framework relating to governance standards, recognition, compliance requirements, ethical conducts, and institutional accountability within the sports ecosystem.
5. Vide, notification dated 31.12.2025, certain provisions of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, including Section 4 (1),(2),(4), which relate to the election of executive bodies of the national sports federations [‘NSF’] have been given effect to from 01.01.2026. The said provisions inter alia provide for a detailed framework for the working of NSFs in the country. Notification dated 31.12.2025 issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is extracted as under:
“S.O. 6152(E). In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 (25 of 2025), the Central Government hereby appoints the 1st January, 2026, as the date on which the provisions of sections 1 to 3, sub-sections (1), (2) and (4) of section 4, sub-sections (1) and (2) of section 5, sub-section (5) of section 8, sub-section (1) of section 11, section 14, section 15, sub-sections (1) to (7) and (10) of section 17, section 30, section 31, sections 33 to 38 of the said Act, shall come into force.”
6. It has further been directed by the Government of India that all NSF adhere to the notified provisions of the NSG Act, as well as the associated rules, and must take all necessary steps to align their constitutions or bylaws, institutional processes, and operations with this statutory framework within the stipulated period of time. Uniform and consistent compliance is essential to ensure an orderly and efficient transaction to the government structure established by the NSG Act.
7. It be also noted that vide order dated 22.12.2025, the Government of India, had inter alia directed that every NSF will be required to undertake appropriate measures to restructure its General Body and to ensure that all their voting members and affiliate units are fully aligned with the provisions of the NSG Act. 
8. During the course of hearing, almost all parties are ad idem in their submission that the constitution and the elections are to be as per the provisions of NSG Act and the Rules made thereunder. It is beyond dispute that the administration of JFI is being carried out by the administrator only as a temporary measure till the same can be handed over to a democratically elected governing body. In pursuance thereof, the Administrator has earnestly discharged his duties in accordance with his mandate. With the enactment of the NSG Act in the interregnum, the constitution and the elections are now to be in conformity with the notified provisions. In view thereof, the Union of India has made the following suggestions:
“4.1. The Administrator, JFI may be directed to call an AGM for the purpose of conducting elections and thereafter, take all necessary steps starting from preparing and publishing the Electoral College (Form-1) till conclusion of the elections as per the Model Elections Guidelines enshrined in the Sports Code. However, the elections ought to be conducted in a time bound manner, subject to further directions of this Hon'ble Court as well as subject to final outcome of the present Petitions.

4.2. Once the elected body (interim in nature) is in place, a reasonable period of time may be given to the elected body to make necessary amendments in the Constitution of the JFI and their affiliated State/UT associations constitution so as to bring it in consonance with the Sports Code/National Sports Governance Act, 2025 and rules framed thereunder. In the interim, the elected body shall file periodic status report informing this Hon'ble Court of efforts being undertaken by the JFI to amend its Constitution and for their affiliated State/UT associations so as to bring it in line with the aforesaid and the progress made thereto.

4.3. The above process may be made subject to further orders of this Hon'ble Court.

4.4. In respect of ensuring representation of 25% of sportspersons in the Executive Committee of JFI, it is proposed that within a reasonable time, preferably within four weeks from the elections, an interim athletes commission should be established as per the existing statutes of world governing body i.e., International Judo Federation. The Athletes Commission shall elect 2 persons who shall be athlete representatives in the Executive Committee. Two sportspersons of outstanding merit (SOM) may be included in terms of the provisions given in National Sports Governance (National Sports Bodies) Rules 2026 framed under National Sports Governance Act 2025.

4.5. In respect of size of Executive Committee, it is submitted that size of Executive Committee shall not be more than 15, as mandated under the National Sports Governance Act 2025.”

9. The submissions of learned counsel appearing for the Adminstrator are also aligned with the contentions made by the other counsels except on the aspect of amendment to the draft constitution. He however, prays that the draft constitution be accepted and given effect to, in order to immediately conduct the elections. He submits that, if the constitution  and the bylaws are finalised, the exercise which the Administrator has already undertaken may not be required to be repeated. Though, the said submissions seem to be reasonable, however, the Court finds that the constitution must be finally approved by the democratically elected governing body. Hence, the following directions are necessary to take the issue to its logical conclusion:
i. The Administrator, JFI is directed to call an Annual General Meeting [‘AGM’], within a period of thirty days from today for the purpose of conducting elections to the JFI. Let the AGM be attended by all existing members of all States and Union Territories.
ii. Within two months from the date on which the AGM is held, let the electoral college be finalised and the same be published as per the provisions of the NSG Act and the Rules framed thereunder. 
iii. Let the elections to the ‘Interim Executive Committee’ be notified within thirty days therefrom. Once the same is in place, let the Administrator hand over the affairs of the JFI to the Interim Executive Committee.
iv. Treating the draft constitution prepared by the Administrator as the base documents, let the ‘Interim Executive Committee’ to make necessary amendments in the constitution of JFI and to take steps towards bringing the constitutions of its members, fully in line with the mandate of the NSG Act, and the Rules framed thereunder, within a period of two months from the date on which the ‘Interim Executive Committee’ is handed over administration of JFI.
v. Let the elections to the final Executive Committee, be conducted within a period of three months thereafter.
vi. Immediately upon election of a final Executive Committee, let the amended constitution of JFI be placed before the General Body for ratification.
10. With the aforesaid directions, petitions stand disposed of.
11. So far as the grievance raised by the petitioner in W.P.(C) 3307/2022, the petitioner shall be at liberty to make a representation before the Administrator/Interim Executive Committee. The rights and contentions of the petitioner are left open.

PURUSHAINDRA KUMAR KAURAV, J
FEBRUARY 12, 2026/p/amg