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Legislative bills

Lok Sabha Passes National Sports Governance Bill and National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed two significant bills aimed at overhauling the sports governance framework in India: the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Introduced on July 23, these bills aim to provide a unified and effective system for sports governance, welfare measures for sportspersons, and ethical practices in the sports movement. The bills seek to centralize authority under the Union government, empowering the National Sports Board (NSB) to grant recognition to national sports bodies and register their affiliate units.

Key Takeaways:

  • The National Sports Governance Bill aims to provide a unified system for sports governance, welfare measures for sportspersons, and ethical practices in the sports movement.
  • The Bill empowers the Central government to constitute the National Sports Board (NSB) and grants it the power to recognize national sports bodies and register their affiliate units.
  • Only sports bodies recognized by the NSB will be eligible to receive funds from the Central government, and the board may suspend or cancel recognition subject to specified conditions.
  • NSB's functions include issuing guidelines on code of ethics and compliance with international rules, inquiring into matters affecting the welfare of sportspersons, and creating an ad-hoc administrative body in case of loss of international recognition of a national body.
  • The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aims to amend the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022.
  • The global sports governing bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee and FIFA, have not yet commented on the developments, but the likelihood of a positive response seems doubtful.
  • The bills have been passed, but the implications and potential resistance from the global sports governing bodies remain to be seen.

Statistics:

  • The funds allocated to sports bodies by the Central government will depend on recognition from the National Sports Board (NSB).
  • The National Sports Board (NSB) will have the power to suspend or cancel recognition of sports bodies, subject to specified conditions.
  • The ad-hoc administrative body will be created by the NSB in cases of loss of international recognition of a national body.

Sources:

  • The Lok Sabha, "National Sports Governance Bill, 2025" [1]
  • The Lok Sabha, "National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025" [2]

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