Supreme Court order restricts BCCI office-bearers to nine-year terms

The Supreme Court order makes it clear that a person can only hold a position in the Board for nine years in total.

The Supreme Court order on the eligibility of Board of Control for India (BCCI) office-bearers in the first week of January had raised confusion over tenure. However, the Supreme Court order makes it clear that a person can only hold a position in the Board for nine years in total.

The Supreme Court ruling on the Lodha Panel recommendations made it clear that officials will not be able to enjoy separate nine-year terms in the state units and the BCCI.(HT Photo)

The Supreme Court provided clarification during the latest hearing held on Friday over the implementation of the Justice RM Lodha Committee report on ushering in reforms in the organisation.

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The court’s order after Friday’s hearing says: “All the office bearers of BCCI and of its affiliated State Associations who fail to meet the norms recommended by the Committee and accepted by this Court, shall forthwith demit and cease to hold office, namely: A person shall be disqualified from being an Office Bearer if he or she has been an office bearer of the BCCI for nine years or a State Association for the same period.”

This makes it clear that officials will not be able to enjoy separate nine-year terms in the state units and the BCCI. The apex court said on Friday that it would pick the names for the BCCI’s interim administration on Tuesday, from a list provided to the court by the amicus curiae, Gopal Subramanium.

The initial confusion over the tenure had given an impression that officials can hold posts for 18 years, thus raising the hopes of some of the senior BCCI officials that they can continue in office.

Attorney general, Mukul Rohatgi, asked the Supreme Court to initiate a wider debate on the Lodha Committee report and consider referring it to a larger bench. He was representing the ministries that control the Services and Railways teams as the Lodha panel report has demoted the two units to associate member status with no voting rights. He was also representing the Association of Indian Universities.