The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Sunday agreed to amend its constitution and bar tainted officials from ­holding office, as demanded by the ­International Olympic Committee (IOC), to ensure it ­remains part of the Olympic movement.

A special IOA meeting in New Delhi decided to elect new office-bearers on February 9, while keeping president Abhay Singh Chautala and secretary-general Lalit Bhanot out of the election process.

Chautala is facing criminal charges over a recruitment scam unrelated to sport, while Bhanot is out on bail after ­being jailed last year for corruption linked to the chaotic 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Senior IOA member S. Reghunathan, who chaired the meeting, said he hoped the IOC will approve the amendments made by the ­Indian body so that fresh ­elections can be held.

"It was unanimously ­decided to amend the relevant clause in the IOA constitution so that charge-sheeted persons would be barred from contesting elections," Reghunathan told reporters after the meeting.

"Both Chautala and Bhanot told the house they will not ­contest the upcoming elections. In fact, Chautala proposed the amendment and Bhanot ­seconded it."

The IOC had suspended the IOA on December 5, 2012 for not abiding by the Olympic charter on good governance ­following the election of Chautala and Bhanot.

Despite repeated IOC warnings, the Indian body had ­refused to sack the pair on the grounds that the law of the land allows people charged with criminal offenses to stand for elections until courts declare them guilty.

Indian sports minister Jitendra Singh, who had met IOC officials in Lausanne in May to resolve the issue, had urged the IOA to follow the governing body's instructions.

The IOA made the U-turn and amended its constitution after it became apparent that the IOC would de-recognize the world's second most populous nation from the Olympic movement if the changes were not carried out.

Withdrawal of recognition would mean that India would not only be deprived of funding from the world body and its athletes barred from ­Olympic events, but the IOA would cease to exist.

India has won eight Olympic gold medals in field ­hockey  and just one individual gold through shooter Abhinav Bindra in 2008.