In a landmark decision that underscores the importance of honoring national sporting excellence, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Haryana government to grant civil-service jobs to two of the state’s most celebrated shooters, Ankur Mittal and Abhishek Verma. Both athletes are Arjuna Award recipients and have represented India on international platforms with distinction. The ruling comes after a prolonged legal battle following the state’s retrospective amendment to its sports policy, which the court found both arbitrary and unfair.
The roots of the controversy lie in a 2018 Haryana Sports Policy that promised HCS (Haryana Civil Services) or HPS (Haryana Police Services) posts to medal winners in events featured at the Olympics. Ankur Mittal and Abhishek Verma, who won medals in world-level shooting competitions recognized by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), applied under this policy. However, in 2019, the Haryana government retroactively amended the policy to exclude events not held in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, thereby disqualifying the shooters from consideration.
The athletes challenged this amendment, arguing that it was a targeted attempt to deny them their rightful positions. The court, in a strongly worded judgment, upheld its April 2022 order and reaffirmed that the state must honor its previous policy commitments. It also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on the Haryana government for attempting to alter rules retrospectively, calling it an abuse of administrative discretion.
The judgment is being hailed as a victory not just for the athletes, but for the integrity of sports policies and the rights of sportspersons across India. It sets a precedent against arbitrary governance and affirms the importance of nurturing athletic talent by providing institutional support. Ankur Mittal and Abhishek Verma, whose careers have brought laurels to India, can now look forward to contributing to society through leadership roles in civil administration.
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