After SC rap, J&K govt finally clears Bilquis Mir for Asian Games after nearly a year

SRINAGAR: It has been a long court battle for international canoeing coach and umpire Bilquis Mir to obtain a no-objection certificate from the Jammu and Kashmir government to join India’s kayaking and canoeing team for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.“I really don’t know what I have done to deserve this treatment that for such a prestigious assignment Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association had approached the high court and even the Supreme Court,” Mir said.“Bilquis Mir, Physical Education Teacher, is hereby accorded the requisite limited No Objection Certificate (NOC)/permission and is relieved for the purpose of joining and discharging the remaining assignment as Coach/Chief Coach of the Indian National Kayaking and Canoeing Team and for accompanying and assisting the Indian National Team in connection with the Asian Games, 2026,” read the order issued by the Department of Youth Services and Sports.Last week, the Supreme Court directed the Jammu and Kashmir government to issue a relieving order and no-objection certificate to Mir by September 15, allowing her to join the Indian national kayaking and canoeing team for the 2026 Asian Games.In its September 10 order in Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association versus Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, a division bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M Pancholi observed, “in the present case, the Asian Games assignment is imminent. A remand to the competent authority for a fresh consideration, though ordinarily appropriate where an administrative decision is found defective, would in the peculiar circumstances amount to denial of effective relief, however, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the dispute has remained pending from February 2026 and that one international assignment has already been lost during the pendency of the proceedings.”The Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association was not seeking Mir’s services for an indefinite private engagement. “The request emanated from a recognised National Sports Federation and concerned preparation of an Indian National Team for an identified international sporting event. The request was therefore required to be considered in that factual setting. At this juncture, it is apt and appropriate to refer the relevant dates which hold significance. The first request was made Feb 3, 2026. It was followed by reminders on Feb 1 , and April 2 2026. Yet no decision was taken before the appellant was compelled to invoke the writ jurisdiction on April 30 2026. Indeed, the High Court itself ultimately found that the delay was substantial and that such delay was capable of prejudicing the larger national interest,” the SC observed.This year, the kayaking association first sought Mir’s services on February 3, followed by reminders on March 1 and April 2. However, no decision was taken by the government, forcing the association to approach the High Court on April 30. The association cited the need for an experienced coach to prepare the Indian team for the Asian Games and sought her services from February 15 to September 2026.As no decision came from the government, the association sent reminders on March 1 and April 2, stressing the urgency of the coaching camp and the impact of Mir’s continued non-availability on the team’s preparation.The association then filed a case in the High Court on April 30, seeking directions to the authorities to grant the requisite permission and relieve Mir so that she could discharge her duties as coach of the Indian national team and participate in the Asian Games preparatory programme and related international assignments.On May 6, the High Court’s single bench directed the government to grant provisional permission to Mir to discharge her duties as chief coach/coach of the Indian national kayaking and canoeing team for the Asian Games and to travel to Hungary to officiate at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup.However, the Jammu and Kashmir government issued an order on June 19 denying her permission and a no-objection certificate for travel to Hungary and Japan. The government cited, among other grounds, an ongoing inquiry and issues concerning Mir’s B.P.Ed. qualification. It also said that the requisite documents had not been furnished through the prescribed mode and that vigilance clearance could not be processed.On July 28, the High Court’s single bench observed that the World Cup event had already passed and expressed concern that the June 19 government order had dealt with the matter substantially as an ordinary service issue without addressing the national sporting assignment for which the association had sought Mir’s services. The court said time was of the essence in deciding the writ petition.The Union Territory had filed an LPA against the interim order dated May 6. The matter was subsequently heard by the Supreme Court’s division bench. The bench said the Asian Games assignment was imminent and that a remand for fresh consideration would, in the circumstances, deny effective relief.The court quashed the June 19 government order as it denied Mir permission.Mir is a government employee serving as a physical education teacher in the Department of Youth Services and Sports, Jammu and Kashmir. The association had selected her as a coach for the Indian national kayaking and canoeing team’s preparation for the Asian Games. She was also selected to officiate as chief finish-line judge at the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged, Hungary, from May 8-10.Stay updated with the latest Srinagar news. Download the TOI App.