IN A MAJOR GOVERNANCE overhaul in Indian equestrian sport, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has constituted a four-member ad-hoc committee headed by Yashodhara Raje Scindia to take charge of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), following directives from the Delhi High Court.
The move effectively ends the long-standing dominance of the Indian Army over EFI administration and marks a transition towards a more structured, legally compliant governance framework under IOA oversight.
The newly formed panel comprises a mix of administrative, legal and international governance expertise. Former Madhya Pradesh Sports Minister, Yashodhara Raje Scindia will be the chairperson, while Francisco Lima, director (Governance), Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), advocate Vidushpat Singhania, and Col (Retd) Ashok Yadav, former EFI official are the other members in the panel.
The formation of the panel follows a February 18, 2026 order by the Delhi High Court, which flagged serious governance lapses within EFI and directed the IOA to step in.
The IOA, in its March 27 order, stated that the committee has been constituted with immediate effect to “administer and govern” EFI. The ad-hoc committee will function as a full-fledged caretaker body with sweeping authority over the federation. Its responsibilities include:
- Exercising complete administrative, financial and regulatory control of EFI
- Managing accounts, competitions and athlete selection processes
- Rewriting the federation’s constitution and by-laws in line with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 and 2026 Rules
- Restructuring membership and governance frameworks
- Conducting free, fair and transparent elections to install a new executive body
The committee has been given a strict timeline of two months to finalise constitutional reforms and conduct elections within 30 days thereafter.
