NHRC Issues Notice to Sports Ministry for Lack of Internal Complaints Committee under POSH Act

On May 11, 2023, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and other national sports federations for not having an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) or properly functional ICCs as required under the law.

This move is pursuant to the media reports which revealed that the WFI did not have such a committee as mandated by provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 for workplaces having more than ten employees. The reports also highlighted that as many as 15 of the 30 National Sports Federations did not have an ICC or comply with the requirements thereof. Taking suo motu cognizance of these reports, the NHRC has issued the said notices and asked the federations to submit detailed reports on the steps taken in this regard within four weeks.