Kerala Child Rights Panel mandates rugby inclusion in school sports

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed the state government to include rugby in the upcoming annual state school sports meet. This directive follows a High Court order and a petition filed by Ameya Sandeep, a student athlete who highlighted the sport's exclusion from the state school games manual despite its presence in national-level competitions.

The commission instructed the General Education Department to urgently organize district or state-level competitions, or transparent selection trials. These arrangements must include adequate facilities, recognized competition formats, appropriate age categories, and necessary safety measures.

Additionally, the panel called for rugby to be included in the 2026-27 National School Games schedule and for the state school sports manual to be amended to reflect this change. The goal is to ensure students do not miss opportunities for national participation due to state-level framework gaps.