SHAIKH ABDUL HAMEED Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner before this Court was nominated by the Ten Pin Federation of India in the year 2005 and 2012 for being considered for conferment of Arjuna Award. The petitioner, however, has not been conferred with the said Award. Being aggrieved from the denial of such an award, the petitioner is before this Court, seeking the following reliefs:

(2.) IN its counter affidavit, the respondent Union of India has stated that selection of the sports persons for Arjuna Award is made on the recommendations of a duly constituted Selection Committee consisting of eminent sportspersons, former Olympians, former Arjuna Awardees and Sports Administrators, in terms of the eligibility criteria laid down in the scheme of Arjuna Awards and on evaluation and assessment of the nominations received from Indian Olympic Association, National Sports Federation, Sports Promotion Boards, State Governments, etc. It is further stated in the counter affidavit that the name of the petitioner did not figure in the list of sportspersons, recommended by the said Selection Committee and, therefore, the Government did not confer such award on him. It is also claimed in the counter affidavit that Arjuna Award cannot be claimed as a matter of right. According to the respondent, the number of Arjuna Awards normally does not exceed 15 in a year, but, considering the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, 18 sportspersons were conferred such award in the year 2011 and the number was increased to 25 in the year 2012, the said year being the Olympic Year and India having won six medals in London Olympics. However, the respondent has not denied the averment that the petitioner was nominated by Ten Pin Federation of India in the year 2005 as well as in the year 2012.

(3.) A perusal of the recommendations made by the Selection Committee for conferment of Arjuna Award in the year 2012, would show that as many as 25 names were commended by the said Committee for conferment of Arjuna Award. The name of the petitioner does not figure in the said list.