After India's exceptional performance at Tokyo Olympics, Allahabad High Court asks university to consider providing sports quota for LLM course

The Allahabad High Court has directed the Registrar of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University to take a decision on providing sports quota for LL.M course in the wake of "exceptional" performance of Indian sports persons in Tokyo Olympics 2020..Single-judge Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery passed the order on a plea filed by a law graduate who had approached the Court, highlighting absence of 'sports quota' in LL.M course at the University."The writ petition is disposed of with a direction to Registrar, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur that in order to provide more support to such sports persons, the University will take a decision, in the interest of sports persons considering that sports persons of this country are doing very well even in international level to provide sports quota for LL.M. Course also," the court directed..The petition was moved by Juhi Dubey, who is a University and State Level cricketer and beneficiary of sports quota for her previous LL.B. course which she had successfully completed in the year 2020. She approached the court on the ground that there was no such quota for the admission to LL.M. (Post Graduate Course) at Deen Dayal Upadhayay Gorakhpur University. .The Court said that it is expected from the University that such bright sports persons should be given benefit of sports quota even in post graduate course."Also, State as well as Union Governments are also helping the upcoming sports persons and we hope that even in upcoming international sports events including Cricket, our country will get more medals, awards and trophies," the Court said .In this regard, the Court pointed out the admirable performance of Indian women's cricket team. "There are twelve Arjun Awardees in Women Cricket Team of India, latest being, Deepti Bhagwan Sharma in the year 2020. Mithali Raj, is nominated by BCCI for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The performance of Indian Women Cricket Team remained exceptional. The Team was runner up in the World T-20 in the year 2020 and in One Day World Cup-2017 also it remained runner up. Presently the women leading Batsman and women leading Wicket Taker are from Indian Cricket Team," the order said. .Regarding the performance of Olympic squad, the Court opined that it was exceptional."The exceptional performance of Indian Squad in Olympic-2020 is the best in last four decades and India finishes at Serial No. 48 in world ranking and at Serial No. 33 in terms of overall medals. Out of seven medalists of India (One Gold, Two Silver and Four Bronze), three are women (Mirabai Chanu-Silver in Weightlifting; P.V. Sindhu-Bronze in Badminton; and, Lovlina Borgohain-Bronze in Boxing)," the Court observed. ."Out of seven medalists of India (One Gold, Two Silver and Four Bronze), three are women."Allahabad High Court .Advocate Rohit Pandey, counsel appearing for the University, submitted that sports quota is provided faculty-wise and entire quota of two seats is for LL.B. Course and no quota is available for LL.M. Course. "However, it is not disputed that an appropriate decision can be taken at University level regarding sports quota in LL.M. Course also," he added.Accordingly, the University Administration was asked to take a decision on providing sports quota in the Post Graduate course (LL.M). .[Read Order]