A troubling tally: 33 sexual harassment complaints against SAI personnel revealed by sports ministry

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya has revealed that there are 33 sexual harassment complaints filed against personnel from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) over the last 10 years. The sports ministry revealed this shocking detail during the Parliament session on Tuesday.

Eight of these complaints of sexual harassment are against administrative staff of SAI and 25 are registered against their coaches. No complaints have been filed against sports ministry officials, as per Mandaviya.

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Mandaviya’s reply came in response of questions posed by Members of Parliament Adhikari Deepak Dev and Raja Ram Singh. The details that were asked were the 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 institutions during the last ten years and the current year, State/UT and discipline-wise.

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Most of the cases filed against the administrative staff of the authority were closed without penalty, while in one of these cases, the fine was “permanent withholding of full gratuity as per Rule 9 of CCS (Pension) Rules 1972”. No appeal was filed against this punishment.

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As for the coaching staff, where 25 such complaints were filed, some stricter action was taken. As per the reply, there were two terminations and six suspensions of coaches due to these cases. There were six cases where minor punishments were issued. “Eight appeals have been filed by the complainant or the accused against the decisions/recommendations of the inquiry committees," the reply stated.

Mandaviya’s reply also stated that the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) (POSH) Act, 2013, are applicable to all NSFs recognised by the sports ministry. It was also revealed that an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) had been formed by these institutions.