Elena Norman quits as Hockey India CEO after 13 years
New Delhi, Feb 27: Fresh turmoil hit Hockey India on Tuesday when its long-serving CEO Elena Norman resigned from her position, alleging that her remuneration was held back for a prolonged period and the job itself was made "difficult" by rampant factionalism in the body.
The 49-year-old Australian held the post for nearly 13 years and had not been paid for the last three months, according to sources in HI.
"There were some issues (regarding salary) and after much persuasion, that got cleared last week," Norman told PTI after HI issued a statement announcing her exit without specifying any reasons.
"There are two factions in Hockey India. There is (President) Dilip Tirkey and I and there is (Secretary) Bholanath Singh, (Executive Director) Cdr. R K Srivastava and (Treasurer) Sekar J Manoharan," she said.
"It was getting tough to deliver in the fight between two factions," she added.
Norman moved to India in 2007 to work for a sports marketing firm before being appointed the federation's first CEO in 2011.
Her resignation comes days after the chief coach of the Indian women's hockey team Janneke Schopman quit, claiming that she was not valued and respected by the national federation. She had also complained about a difficult work environment.
Norman's resignation is another setback for the body. HI president and former India captain Dilip Tirkey, while accepting Norman's resignation, expressed his gratitude towards the Australian.
"Not only as the President of Hockey India but also as a former player and avid hockey enthusiast, I want to formally acknowledge and extend my sincere gratitude for her remarkable contributions over the last 12-13 years," Tirkey said in a statement.
"Her dedication and efforts have played a pivotal role in propelling Hockey India and Indian hockey to the commendable position they hold today. I wish her great success in all her future endeavours."
During the time she held the top job, the country's men and women's teams achieved career-best world rankings.
A historic bronze-medal finish by the men's team at the Tokyo Olympic Games, ending a 41-year medal drought, was also a major accomplishment. The women also finished at an unprecedented fourth in the quadrennial showpiece.
Norman served a major part of her stint with HI when former international hockey federation (FIH) chief Narinder Batra was the president of the national body.
During her tenure, HI hosted two consecutive editions of FIH Men's World Cup in 2018 and 2023, two Junior Men's World Cup in 2016 and 2021 and also hosted five editions of the now-discontinued Hockey India League (HIL), a franchise-based league.
Besides, HI also hosted several international hockey events including the Champions Trophy, World League Finals in 2015 and 2017, Olympic Qualifiers in 2019 and 2024 as well as the Hockey Pro League home games during her tenure.
"Elena was also at the forefront of bringing women's hockey to limelight, providing them equal facilities as the men's hockey team, including cash awards recognising standout performances in international events through the Hockey India Annual Awards," said a Hockey India statement.
"She was particularly instrumental in the success of the women's team that qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics, a historic feat as the team qualified for the first time and participated in the Olympics after 36 years," the statement added.
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SC dismisses pleas seeking review of 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage
New Delhi, Jan 9: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a batch of pleas seeking to review its October 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage.
A five-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, B V Nagarathna, P S Narasimha and Dipankar Datta took up about 13 petitions related to the matter in chambers and dismissed them.
"We do not find any error apparent on the face of the record. We further find that the view expressed in both the judgements is in accordance with law and as such, no interference is warranted. Accordingly, the review petitions are dismissed," the bench said.
It said the judges have carefully gone through the judgements delivered by Justice (since retired) S Ravindra Bhat speaking for himself and for Justice (since retired) Hima Kohli as well as the concurring opinion expressed by Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha, constituting the majority view.
The bench also rejected a prayer made in the review petitions for hearing in an open court.
According to practice, the review pleas are considered in chambers by the judges.
The new bench was constituted after Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the present CJI, recused from hearing the review petitions on July 10, 2024.
Notably, Justice P S Narasimha is the only member of the original Constitution bench comprising five judges which delivered the verdict, as former CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justices S K Kaul, Ravindra Bhat and Hima Kohli have retired.
A five-judge Constitution bench led by then CJI Chandrachud on October 17, 2024, refused to accord legal backing to same-sex marriages and held there was "no unqualified right" to marriage with the exception of those recognised by law.
The apex court, however, made a strong pitch for the rights of LGBTQIA++ persons so that they didn't face discrimination in accessing goods and services available to others, safe houses known as "garima greh" in all districts for shelter to members of the community facing harassment and violence, and dedicated hotlines in case of trouble.
In its judgement, the bench held transpersons in heterosexual relationships had the freedom and entitlement to marry under the existing statutory provisions.
It said an entitlement to legal recognition of the right to union, akin to marriage or civil union, or conferring legal status to the relationship could be only done through an "enacted law".
The five-judge Constitution bench delivered four separate verdicts on a batch of 21 petitions seeking legal sanction for same-sex marriages.
All five judges were unanimous in refusing the legal recognition to same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act and observed it was within Parliament's ambit to change the law for validating such a union.
While former CJI Chandrachud wrote a separate 247-page verdict, Justice Kaul penned a 17-page judgement where he broadly agreed with the former's views.
Justice Bhat, who authored an 89-page judgement for himself and Justice Kohli, disagreed with certain conclusions arrived at by the former CJI, including on applicability of adoption rules for such couples.
Justice Narasimha in his 13-page verdict was in complete agreement with the reasoning and conclusion of Justice Bhat.
The judges were unanimous in holding that queerness was a natural phenomenon and not an "urban or elite" notion.
In his judgement, the former CJI recorded Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's assurance of forming a committee chaired by the cabinet secretary to define and elucidate the scope of entitlements of such couples in a union.
The LGBTQIA++ rights activists, who won a major legal battle in 2018 in the Supreme Court, which decriminalised consensual gay sex, moved the apex court seeking validation of same-sex marriages and consequential reliefs such as rights to adoption, enrolment as parents in schools, opening of bank accounts and availing succession and insurance benefits.
Some of the petitioners sought the apex court to use its plenary power besides the "prestige and moral authority" to push the society to acknowledge such a union and ensure LGBTQIA++ persons led a "dignified" life like heterosexuals.
