New Delhi: In a bid to improve sports governance as India makes a pitch to host the 2036 Olympics, the Modi government Wednesday introduced the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha that proposes to bring all sporting federations, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India, under its purview.
The bill provides for setting up a National Sports Board (NSB), which would be an apex body responsible for granting recognition to all national sports federations across the country. The NSB will maintain a register of all sporting bodies and their affiliates, formulate code of ethics, and issue “safe sports policy” that will oversee protection of women and minor athletes.
To provide for independent, speedy, effective and cost-efficient disposal of sports-related disputes, the bill proposes setting up a National Sports Tribunal.
“It is the endeavour of India to host major international sports events in the country and preparation for the same are underway. Also, as a part of the preparatory activities for the bidding of Summer Olympic Games 2036, it is imperative that the sports governance landscape undergo a positive transformation to bring better outcomes, sporting excellence and aids in improved performance in major international competitions,” the bill’s statement of objectives and reasons states.
ThePrint explains some of the key provisions of the bill and how it is expected to improve sports governance in India.
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What does the bill propose?
The bill’s statement of objectives and reasons mentions the need for a comprehensive legislation to “improve the governance of sports bodies and achieve better results in sports and reduce disputes and litigation, inter alia, involving sports federations”.
“There is an imperative need to curb factionalism, and administrative interventions, which adversely affects the organised development of sports and related activities in India and also for its better presentation before the international sports community,” it states.
Towards this end, the bill proposes setting up the NSB, which will be headquartered in Delhi. It will be headed by a chairman, who will be appointed by the central government upon recommendation from a search-cum-selection committee. The board will also have members from public and sports administration and recipients of national sports awards.
The board will have the power to suspend or cancel the recognition of a sports organisation as a national sports body or registration of an affiliate unit of a national sports body, if the international recognition of the body has been suspended or cancelled by the international sports body, or the affiliate unit concerned has been suspended or disaffiliated by the national sports body.
To provide for quick disposal of sports-related disputes, the bill proposes a National Sports Tribunal that will consist of a chairperson who is or has been a judge of the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice of a High Court.
The tribunal will also have two members who will be persons of eminence with wide knowledge and experience in sports, public administration and law.
The chairperson and the other members of the tribunal shall be appointed by the Centre on the recommendations of the search-cum-selection committee. The tribunal shall have the same powers as are vested in a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure,1908, while trying a suit.
No civil court shall have jurisdiction to entertain any suit or proceeding in respect of any matter on which the tribunal is empowered to adjudicate.
However, the bill states that “unless the International Charters and Statutes provide for appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an appeal shall lie against any order of the tribunal, not being an interlocutory order, to the Supreme Court.”
The tribunal shall also not have jurisdiction to adjudicate any dispute or conflict arising during the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, or any other similar events organised by any international federation.
Besides, it would not attend to matters related to doping charges, which falls under the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022.
Sporting bodies under RTI
An important provision in the bill is that all sporting bodies shall be considered as a public authority under the Right to Information Act, 2005. This means that once the bill becomes an Act, all sporting bodies including the BCCI would come under the purview of the RTI Act, making their functioning more accountable and transparent.
Being the richest sport governing body, the BCCI does not rely on funds or grants from the sports ministry and was hence never under its purview.
The bill has also proposed to relax the age limit for executive committee members of sporting bodies by allowing persons aged between 70 and 75 years to contest elections or seek nomination, if permitted by international charters and bye-laws. The age limit was so far capped at 70.
The provision might allow current BCCI president Roger Binny, who recently turned 70, to contest again.
A National Sports Election Panel has also been proposed to oversee the conduct of free and fair elections to executive committees and athlete committee of national sports bodies.
The election panel would consist of a retired chief election commissioner or election commissioner or deputy election commissioner or retired state election commissioner or chief electoral officers of state.
Provision for funds
The bill proposes to set up a National Sports Board Fund where all grants, fees, charges and any other funds would be credited. These funds would be utilised to pay the salaries and allowances of chairpersons, board members and officers.
The board would be required to maintain proper accounts of all income and expenses. The accounts would be subject to audit by the Comptroller and Audit-General of India.
An initial grant of Rs 10 crore has been proposed in the bill to meet the salaries of chairpersons and members recruited in the first financial year of the National Sports Board and National Sports Tribunal.
Depending upon the future composition of the board of both bodies, any recurring and non-recurring expenses would be borne out of the consolidated fund of India.
Udit Bubna is an alum of ThePrint School of Journalism
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)