The Government of India (Ministry of Human Resource Development) had in 1992 conveyed its decision to treat `sports coaches' working in schools as `teachers' and also extend all the benefits as available to teachers to the coaches.

In a letter to the Director of Education, Delhi Administration on January 23, 1992, the ministry had stated: ``It has now been decided in consultation with the Ministry of Finance to treat the sports coaches as `teachers.' Accordingly, various benefits as available to the teachers be extended to the sports coaches.''

In a significant decision in 1997, the Supreme Court said: ``Duty to teach skills of various games as well as their rules and practices brings a Director of Physical Education in university, clearly within main part of the definition as a `teacher.''

But sports coaches in universities have neither been treated as `teachers' nor their payscales revised accordingly.

While taking up the long-pending demand of university coaches to treat them at par with the Assistant Director of Physical Education, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) at its meeting held in Kurukshetra recently requested the University Grants Commission and the respective state governments to accept the demand of the university coaches.

It was argued in favour of the university coaches that their ``duty to teach skills of various games as well as their rules and practices brings a physical education instructor in universities, clearly within the main part of the definition as a teacher.'' It was further noted that the duties of the coach pertain to teaching of skills and management of sports.

In fact, of the 100-odd sports coaches appointed directly by the universities, at least 10 have done doctorate in physical education and are qualified to be directors of physical education. Strangely, there is no coaching cadre in the entire Indian university system and whatever coaches have been appointed have been for the benefit of selecting and and sending teams for various tournaments. Although, there are hundreds of Sports Authority of India-appointed coaches for various games in most universities, they get their salaries from SAI and are already under gradation.