Serious questions have emerged over the appointment process of the Vice-Chancellor of the National Sports University, with allegations that the selection was carried out in violation of the provisions of the National Sports University Act, 2018 and established academic recruitment norms.
The controversy Centres around the appointment of retired IPS officer Daljit Singh Chaudhary as Vice-Chancellor of the university, despite a formal selection process already having been conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The National Sports University, inaugurated as a flagship project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and projected as a landmark institution for sports education in the country, is now facing criticism even before becoming fully operational, with concerns being raised over transparency, institutional autonomy and adherence to academic standards.
According to official records, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had issued an advertisement on December 17, 2024 inviting applications for the post of Vice-Chancellor. A Search-cum-Selection Committee subsequently shortlisted 15 candidates for personal interaction and viva voce.
An official communication issued by the Ministry on May 1, 2025 informed shortlisted candidates that interviews would be held physically on May 31, 2025 at the Conference Hall of the National Dope Testing Laboratory, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Complex, New Delhi. Fourteen candidates reportedly appeared before the Selection Committee, while one candidate did not attend.
Among the shortlisted candidates were five qualified aspirants from Manipur, of whom four appeared for the interview process. Sources familiar with the matter claimed that several candidates possessed extensive academic and administrative experience in sports sciences and higher education.
However, none of the 14 interviewed candidates were selected.
Instead, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports issued an appointment order dated May 7, 2026 appointing Daljit Singh Chaudhary, a retired 1990-batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, as Vice-Chancellor of the university for a tenure of five years or until attaining the age of 70 years.
The appointment order stated that the appointment was made on the recommendation of the Search-cum-Selection Committee. However, questions have arisen because Chaudhary’s name allegedly did not figure in the shortlisted candidates invited for the viva voce examination, nor did he reportedly participate in the interaction process conducted by the Selection Committee.
Critics have alleged that the appointment bypassed the prescribed recruitment norms under the National Sports University Act, 2018. Under the Act and prevailing UGC norms, a Vice-Chancellor is generally expected to possess distinguished academic credentials, including at least ten years’ experience as a Professor along with proven academic research and administrative experience.
Daljit Singh Chaudhary, according to the appointment records and publicly available service details, holds B.Sc. and LL.B qualifications and has served in police and paramilitary organisations, including the Border Security Force and the Central Reserve Police Force.
The development has triggered concerns among sections of the academic community and civil society over whether the statutory criteria for appointment were fully complied with.
Questions are also being raised over the status of the original selection panel. Critics have alleged that if the earlier panel or recommendation process was cancelled or superseded, no public notification, fresh advertisement or formal disclosure was issued by the Ministry.
Observers say the controversy risks casting a shadow over the credibility of the National Sports University, which was envisioned as India’s premier institution for sports education, sports sciences and athletic excellence.
The issue has also renewed debate over political influence in appointments to higher educational institutions. Critics described the development as resembling a “political appointment” rather than the outcome of a transparent academic selection process.
Concerned voices have warned that any perceived dilution of academic norms in the appointment of the university’s top leadership could adversely affect institutional integrity and public confidence in the long term.