Supreme Court Endorses New AIFF Constitution Reform

The Supreme Court has approved a revised AIFF constitution prepared by Justice L Nageswara Rao, which introduces significant reforms, including tenure and age limits for office bearers. The AIFF must adopt these changes within four weeks, following objections from various stakeholders.

The Supreme Court has given its nod to the newly drafted constitution of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), as prepared by former Justice L Nageswara Rao, albeit with some modifications. The directive mandates the AIFF to implement these changes in a general body meeting within four weeks.

Justices PS Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi, on the bench, acknowledged the current executive committee's election under president Kalyan Chaubey. They concluded there was little point in organizing new elections with only a year remaining in the current term.

The draft constitution aims to overhaul several aspects of the AIFF's governance structure, focusing on imposing age and tenure limits. Notably, it includes a maximum 12-year service lifespan and a mandatory cooling-off period, with added provisions for removing office bearers through a no-confidence motion.

(With inputs from agencies.)