ACB Seeks Report From Sports Council Over Alleged Irregularities in J&K Sports Quota
Jammu, Aug 17, KNT: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau has sought a factual report from the J&K Sports Council over a series of allegations concerning the preparation of merit lists, recognition of sports disciplines, issuance of certificates and appointments under the sports quota framework.
In a letter, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Anti-Corruption Bureau Jammu, asked the Secretary of the J&K Sports Council to examine the allegations raised in a complaint and provide a factual report along with comments and relevant records for further action.
The verification, identified as Miscellaneous Verification No. 10/2026, covers allegations relating to S.O. 12, the provisional merit list, sports recognition, allocation of benefits and appointments under the sports quota framework in Jammu and Kashmir.
The ACB has flagged the inclusion of candidates associated with certain sports in merit lists despite allegations that the respective sports lack proper recognition, regulatory structures or a verifiable competitive framework. It has sought examination of the eligibility and recognition standards applied while determining merit.
The letter also points to an alleged abnormal concentration of candidates from certain sports, raising the possibility of preferential treatment at the administrative level. According to the allegations cited by the ACB, such an imbalance could disadvantage sportspersons from other disciplines.
Serious concerns have also been raised over the issuance and use of sports certificates. The complaint alleges that certificates in certain sports were being issued on a paid basis or without adequate competitive verification, potentially enabling financially capable candidates to obtain sports-quota benefits without genuine sporting merit.
Another issue flagged in the verification concerns sports that were introduced or recognized only in recent years but have allegedly produced a disproportionately high number of beneficiaries, including candidates receiving gazetted appointments within a short period.
The ACB has asked the Sports Council to examine whether policy amendments, distribution of benefits and selection standards in such cases were applied fairly.
The verification has also raised a specific classification issue concerning Dragon Boat, which, according to the ACB communication, has been administratively treated under Canoeing and Kayaking despite being a technically distinct discipline. The Bureau has sought examination of the matter from the legal and administrative perspective in the absence of any officially notified policy provision or statutory order merging the two disciplines.
Questions have further been raised over the manner in which merit was determined on the basis of participation in international, national and other competitive events. The ACB has called for verification of the hierarchy of competitions, eligibility standards and age criteria.
The communication specifically mentions allegations that in certain cases candidates who were underage at the time of participation were subsequently granted benefits, potentially affecting senior sportspersons who had spent years training and competing.
The Sports Council has been asked to provide the factual position on each of the allegations along with relevant records and its comments to enable the Anti-Corruption Bureau to decide the further course of action. [KNT]
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