Delhi HC Asks Govt If Jaspal Rana’s Award Snub Can be Reviewed

File picture of Jaspal Rana with protege Manu Bhakar.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Jaspal Rana)

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday, 27 August, asked the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs whether the selection committee can review the winners’ list for this year’s Dronacharya Award, which didn’t include junior national shooting coach Jaspal Rana, reported The Indian Express.

However, Justice Navin Chawla clarified that whatever be the decision, it won’t impact this year’s awards ceremony, which will be taking place on Thursday, 29 August, when we celebrate the National Sports Day.

The selection panel nominated Vimal Kumar (badminton), Sandeep Gupta (table tennis) and Mohinder Singh Dhillon (athletics) for the annual Dronacharya Award category while Mezban Patel (hockey), Rambir Singh Khokar (kabaddi) and Sanjay Bhardwaj (cricket) were picked for the Dronacharya Award in the lifetime category.

Meanwhile, the panel overlooked 43-year-old Jaspal Rana, who apart from winning laurels for India at multiple Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, groomed the likes of Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary and Anish Bhanwala, who have made the country proud at the international stage in the recent years.

The Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Acharya was asked to take instruction on revisiting Rana’s application after lawyer Rahul Mehra pointed out, while referring to the ministry’s records, that one Sandeep Gupta was considered for the awards, despite lacking 180 days of coaching to individual sportspersons.

The judge wanted to know what happened in the selection process, observing “if you (Rana) are eligible, you will have to get it”.

The direction comes after Delhi State Rifle Association, represented by Mehra, pointed at inconsistencies in marking Rana. According to the plea, Rana was not nominated for the Dronacharya Award despite meeting all required criteria under the scheme notified by the ministry.

The ASG, assisted by central government standing counsel Ripudaman Bhardwaj, replied that marking has been done only under three categories – Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games – and persons who have groomed medallists for the country.

(With inputs from Indian Express)