Tendulkar and Anand dropped from AICS advisory panel: Details here
What's the story
Indian sports legends, Sachin Tendulkar from cricket and Viswanathan Anand from chess, have been dropped from the advisory panel of the All India Council of Sports (AICS). The panel was formed by the current Indian government, in order to help them resolve matters related to sports and also assist them in the development of sports in the country. Here is more on this.
Committee draft
Tendulkar and Anand were drafted in 2015
It was during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first run in 2015 when the panel was formed. Tendulkar and Anand were drafted as Rajya Sabha MPs into the committee by then Sports Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal. Furthermore, the strength of the committee has also been curtailed from 27 to 18, as the committee enters into its second term.
Omission reason
Why were Tendulkar and Anand omitted?
As far as the reason for their omission is concerned, it is being believed that since both attended just a couple of meetings during the previous term, their names were not considered henceforth. Along with the duo, other prominent names, like football great Bhaichung Bhutia and badminton coach Pullela Gopichand, have also been omitted. Meanwhile, Gopichand's busy schedule has led to his exclusion.
New members
Harbhajan Singh and Krishnamachari Srikkanth inducted among new members
Among new members, former Indian cricketing greats Harbhajan Singh and Krishnamachari Srikkanth were included in the committee for the upcoming second term, reports Times of India. The other new inclusions are: Limba Ram (archery), PT Usha (athletics), Bachendri Pal (mountaineering), Deepa Malik (para-athlete), Anjali Bhagwat (shooting), Renedy Singh (football) and Yogeshwar Dutt (wrestling).