Government Grants Conditional Recognition To Judo Federation Of India Interim Body

On July 13, 2026, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (Department of Sports) sent a letter to the President/Secretary General of the Judo Federation of India, granting recognition to the Executive Committee of the Judo Federation of India (JFI) (interim body) with immediate effect.

The Ministry stated that the elections to the Executive Committee of the Judo Federation of India (JFI) were held on June 8, 2026, as per the directions of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi contained in its order dated February 12, 2026, passed in W.P.(C) No. 3165/2022 titled Karnataka Judo Association & Anr. Vs. Judo Federation of India & Ors. and other connected matters.

The Ministry has granted recognition to the Executive Committee comprising Mukesh Kumar as President, Banee Brata Das as Secretary General, and Shailesh Shrikant Tilak as Treasurer.

Recognition Subject to Court Outcome

However, the Ministry clarified that the recognition depends on the outcome of the ongoing court cases concerning elections to the EC of JFI, pending before the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi and other Hon’ble High Courts.

Conditions Of Recognition:

The Ministry has specified certain conditions for recognition, which include:

Amendment of JFI Constitution and Final Elections:

The interim body has been directed to follow the Delhi High Court’s directions on amending the JFI constitution and conducting elections to the final Executive Committee. The constitution is to be amended in accordance with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 (“NSG Act”) and the Rules framed thereunder, within the timeline prescribed by the Court.

The NSG Act, which came into force on January 1, 2026, establishes a comprehensive governance framework for National Sports Federations in India, prescribing requirements relating to tenure limits, age limits, cooling-off periods, democratic elections, and financial accountability. (For further details on the NSG Act and the recently notified National Sports Board and National Sports Tribunal Rules, 2026, see: https://foxmandal.in/News/national-sports-board-and-national-sports-tribunal-rules-2026-notified/)

The Delhi High Court had further directed that elections to the final Executive Committee be conducted within three months after the Interim Executive Committee makes the necessary amendments and takes steps to bring the constitutions of its members in line with the NSG Act and Rules.

The High Court also directed that, immediately upon election of the final Executive Committee, the amended constitution of JFI be placed before the General Body for ratification.

Compliance with Legal and International Framework

The interim body has been directed to function under the extant legal framework and follow the mechanism prescribed by the International Judo Federation for administering Judo in India.

Monthly Reporting

The interim body has been directed to submit monthly reports to the Ministry on progress toward compliance with the Delhi High Court’s directions.

Transparency And Accountability

The Ministry has directed the interim body to align its operations with the principles of transparency and accountability.

Recognition May Be Suspended or Revoked

The Ministry further stated that if the interim body defaults or commits gross irregularities, it may suspend or revoke the conditional recognition. Such suspension or revocation could affect JFI’s ability to participate in or sanction international judo events, select athletes for international competitions, and access government funding and support programmes.