The Rajasthan High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the state’s decision to deny bonus marks for participation in sports to a candidate with a Yoga certificate. The court upheld the state’s stance that Yoga does not qualify as a sport for competitive purposes, citing a 2016 notification from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

The Single-Bench of Justice Arun Monga was hearing a petition filed by a candidate for the post of Physical Training Instructor who sought recognition of his All-India Inter-University Tournament (AIITU) certificate in Yoga as a valid sports certificate for bonus marks in the recruitment process.

Contentions of Parties

Advocate V.D. Vaishnav appeared for the petitioner, and Advocate Priyanshu Gopa appeared for the respondent State.

The petitioner argued that the recruitment advertisement provided for bonus marks to candidates who had participated in sports events at various levels. He contended that his representation of JVNU, Jodhpur, in the AIITU Yoga tournament should qualify under the same criteria.

However, the State relied on a December 21, 2016, communication from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, which clarified that yoga is not recognized as a sport due to the lack of standardized competitive formats. The petitioner challenged this reliance, arguing that the communication was not addressed to any state authority and should not be applicable to his case.

Court's Findings

After reviewing the records, the Court ruled that the petitioner did not possess a valid sports certificate recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. It reaffirmed that, despite Yoga being categorized as a sport in some contexts, the absence of standardized competitive tournaments disqualifies it from being considered for bonus marks in recruitment.

“Even if Yoga is categorized as a sport, no benefit can be given to the petitioner since it is not feasible to hold competitive sports tournaments for Yoga, and thus, in a strict sense, it cannot be termed as a sport for awarding bonus marks,” the Court observed.

Since the petitioner failed to meet the eligibility criteria, the Court found no merit in the challenge and dismissed the petition.

Cause Title: Sita Ram v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. [Neutral Citation No. 2024:RJ-JD:45708]

Appearance:-

Petitioner: Advocate V.D. Vaishnav

Respondent: Advocates Priyanshu Gopa, Vinit Sanadhya

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