India's CIC urges sports transparency

The call for transparency came from the CIC as part of the analysis of a request under the Right to Information Act, and places the spotlight on the functioning of sports federations at a key moment for the country's international strategy. The oversight body demanded that information on the recognition status of federations and sports associations endorsed by the ministry be available systematically and accessibly on the department’s official website, as part of an accountability policy that reduces institutional opacity.

The recommendation was made during the hearing of an appeal filed by Sacheen Gandhi, who sought specific data on the administrative situation of entities such as the All India Carrom Federation, the Kho-kho Federation of India, the Amateur Kabbadi Federation of India, the Squash Rackets Federation of India and the Softball Association of India. Although the CIC considered that the ministry had adequately responded to the specific request, it underlined that the voluntary and regular publication of this kind of information would spare citizens from having to resort constantly to formal access-to-information mechanisms to learn basic public-interest facts.

Information Commissioner P.R. Ramesh explicitly linked this demand for transparency with India's Olympic horizon. In words carried by Press Trust of India, he said that "As India aspires to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, marking a huge step in the country's rise as a sports superpower, the transparent functioning of sports bodies will strengthen India's sporting ecosystem manifold." It is a statement that places sports governance as a structural component of the Olympic project, rather than as an accessory.

The CIC also recalled that section 4 of the RTI Act obliges all public authorities to make constant efforts to disseminate the maximum possible amount of information by various means, including the internet. In that context, the body was unequivocal in stating, according to the Indian news agency, that "Voluntary disclosure of all information that ought to be displayed in the public domain should be the rule and members of the public seeking information through RTI application should be an exception," a formulation that reinforces the open government principle underpinning the law.

Beyond the specific case, the Commission stressed that the periodic updating of institutional portals not only enhances transparency, but helps to spread accurate information and avoid recurrent controversies over the recognition of federations, a historically sensitive issue in Indian sport. The appeal was ultimately archived without further action, although with an explicit recommendation to the ministry to adopt proactive disclosure practices henceforth.

This institutional demand comes in parallel with a notable political and diplomatic push to position India as a credible candidate to host the 2036 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. In October 2024, the Indian Olympic Association, chaired by the legendary sprinter P.T. Usha, submitted an official letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee, a gesture that marked the formal start of the country's Olympic offensive and has since been accompanied by announcements of large-scale investment and planning.

The Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, Amit Shah, recently confirmed that the country is preparing for that objective by staging around a dozen national and international events before 2036, while laying the foundations of the necessary infrastructure. Among the flagship projects he mentioned the Veer Savarkar sports complex and the development of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in Motera, conceived as one of the axes of India’s future sporting ecosystem. Shah also highlighted the sustained increase in the national sports budget, which rose from ₹8bn (€76m) in 2014 to ₹40bn (€381m) in 2025.

The leader, one of the most influential figures in Narendra Modi's government, reinforced the message during the closing of the Sansad Khel Mahotsav in Gujarat, where he placed Ahmedabad at the centre of the Olympic narrative. Before the public, he stated that "be prepared, because the city is also going to welcome the Olympics in 2036," a declaration that, for its tone and setting, projected internal confidence and international ambition. His words came a few days after Ahmedabad was designated host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

In that context, the CIC's warning takes on strategic significance. Transparency in the management and recognition of sports federations is not merely an administrative matter, but an element that can influence the country's credibility with international bodies. The message is clear: to aspire to host the planet's largest sporting event, India must demonstrate that its sports system operates with clear rules, accessible information and accountability, from the federative base to the highest levels of the state.

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