The Delhi High Court has ordered fresh elections to the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) after the expiry of the tenure of its existing executive committee. This decision was issued by Justice Kaurav after a hearing of 14 Courts in response to a request by the Union of India to appoint an ad-hoc administrative committee for the EFI.
The request to form an ad-hoc administrative committee came after the executive committee, which was reconstituted for the Paris Olympics, completed its term. The Rajasthan Equestrian Association emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying the elections were long overdue.
The Delhi High Court responded by outlining concrete steps to ensure the federation’s compliance with the latest regulatory framework. A significant factor in the court’s directive was the enactment of the National Sports Governance Act 2025 and the National Sports Governance (National Sports Bodies) Rules Notification 2026. Rule 18 of these new rules requires all national sports federations to amend their bye-laws in accordance with the 2025 Act, making compliance a statutory requirement for continued operation.
Based on the court order, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will set up an independent ad-hoc committee. The current executive committee has been directed to hand over the review to the ad-hoc committee within seven days to avoid any administrative loopholes and ensure a smooth transition.
WHAT IS THE DELHI HC ORDER?
1. In view of the above circumstances and in view of the statutory regime applicable under the NSG Act, this court considers it appropriate to issue the following instructions:
and. The Indian Olympic Association shall immediately appoint an Ad-hoc Committee to take over the administration of the EFI. The current EFI Executive Committee shall hand over the mandate to the Ad-Hoc Committee within seven days from the date of its appointment.
ii. The Ad-hoc Committee shall within a period of 2 months from the date of its appointment finalize the constitution and bylaws of the EFI in accordance with the NSG Act and the rules contained therein.
iii. After finalizing the constitution and bylaws, the Ad-hoc committee will announce the elections within thirty days. After the election process is over, the newly elected body will take over the management of the EFI.
iv. As a first step, the elected body shall ratify and adopt the EFI Constitution in strict accordance with the mandate of the NSG Act and the applicable rules.
2. Pursuant to the above instructions, the lawsuit is disposed of along with all pending applications.
The ad-hoc committee is tasked with reviewing and amending the EFI constitution within three months. Their primary responsibility is to ensure the constitution complies with the requirements of the National Sports Governance Act 2025 with all necessary amendments proposed, discussed and finalized during this period.
After the constitutional changes were completed, the court ordered that new elections be held within a month. The newly elected general body will then have to ratify constitutional amendments that will consolidate the federation’s compliance with the new legal framework and establish its governance structure for the future.
This decision follows an earlier order dated 29 May 2024 in which a division bench of the Delhi High Court stayed the appointment of an ad-hoc administrative committee and restored control to a 20-member executive committee elected in 2019.
– The end
Published on:
28 Feb 2026 10:48 IST
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