The Lok Sabha passed the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 amidst opposition protest over the Special Intensive Revision exercise conducted in Bihar.
The National Sports Governance Bill seeks to provide for recognition of national sports bodies and regulate their functioning. The Bill provides for the establishment of the National Olympic Committee, National Paralympic Committee, and National and Regional Sports Federations for each designated sport. The national bodies will have affiliation with respective international bodies.
The bill provides that every national sports body will have a general body, consisting of equal number of representatives from each affiliate member and certain ex-officio members. It will have an executive committee consisting of up to 15 members, with at least two outstanding sportspersons and four women. The Bill empowers the central government to establish a National Sports Board which will grant recognition to the national sports bodies and register their affiliate units. The Bill also provides for constituting a National Sports Tribunal to adjudicate sports related disputes.
The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 seeks to amend the National Anti-Doping Act 2022. Doping is the consumption of certain prohibited substances by athletes to enhance performance. The Act gives effect to the UNESCO convention against doping in sports. It prohibits doping in sports, and provides a framework for testing, enforcement, and adjudication of violations. It establishes the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to implement anti-doping rules. It also establishes the National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports to oversee activities of NADA and advise the central government on anti-doping regulations.
The Bill empowers the National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports to obtain any information from the Disciplinary Panel and the Appeal Panel regarding their operations. The Bill specifies a list of conduct or circumstances as anti-doping rule violations.
Replying to a brief discussion, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that these bills will bring the biggest reforms in the sports sector since Independence. He said the legislation will fulfill the dream of taking the country from ground to glory in the sports sector. Earlier, moving the Bills, Mr. Mandaviya termed these bills robust, saying that it has been brought after the elaborate consultations with the stakeholders. He said, these bills are results of the initiatives taken by the government for creating a robust sports infrastructure in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said, as the country is gearing up to bid for the Olympics, the National Sports Governance Bill will pave a way for creating a world class sports infrastructure in the country. He said the bill is in the interests of sports federations and athletes. Talking about the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, he said, this bill has been brought to align with the international rules framed by the International agencies.
Participating in the discussion, Ganesh Singh of BJP lauded the Bills saying that it helps in creating a robust sports infrastructure in the country.
