Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Sports Ministry Allows IOA 16-Member Council After IOC Recommendation
India’s Olympic association has 16 people on its Executive Council.
A new sports law generally says such panels should have no more than 15 members.
The International Olympic Committee recommended that the IOA keep its existing arrangement.
The Sports Ministry agreed to make an exception for the IOA.
This means the council can include 15 regular members plus IOC member or members in India.
Those IOC members will be ex-officio members with voting rights.
The decision is meant to make Indian rules fit with Olympic rules.
The IOA plans to hold elections later this year.
The Sports Ministry has allowed the Indian Olympic Association to retain its 16-member Executive Council.
The decision creates an exception to the National Sports Governance Act’s 15-member limit.
The International Olympic Committee recommended keeping the council’s size unchanged, independent of IOC membership in India.
The exemption accommodates IOC members in India as ex-officio voting members under the Olympic Charter.
The IOA is scheduled to hold elections later this year.
- Who
- The Sports Ministry, the Indian Olympic Association, and the International Olympic Committee are involved.
- What
- The Ministry granted the IOA an exemption allowing its 16-member Executive Council to continue.
- When
- The decision was announced in a gazette notification dated September 10; IOA elections are due later this year.
- Where
- New Delhi, India.
- Why
- The exemption is intended to harmonize the National Sports Governance Act with IOC requirements, including voting membership for IOC members in India.
National Sports Governance Act
IOC And IOA Requirements
Council size
National Sports Governance Act
The Act’s applicable requirement limits the Executive Council to 15 members.
IOC And IOA Requirements
The IOC recommended retaining the existing 16-member structure.
IOC membership
National Sports Governance Act
The statutory composition requirement would otherwise apply to the IOA.
IOC And IOA Requirements
The IOA and IOC said IOC members in India must be accommodated as ex-officio voting members under the Olympic Charter.
- Executive Council size
- 16 members
- Statutory limit
- The National Sports Governance Act requires a 15-member panel.
- IOC recommendation
- The IOC recommended that the council’s number remain unchanged and be independent of the number of IOC members in India.
- Exemption basis
- The Ministry acted under Article 37(2) of the National Sports Governance Act.
- Ex-officio members
- IOC member or members in India are required under the Olympic Charter to be ex-officio voting members.
- Upcoming event
- The IOA is due to hold elections later this year.