National Sports Governance Bill to be tabled in Parliament in Monsoon Session

New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) The long-delayed National Sports Governance Bill will be tabled in the Parliament in this upcoming Monsoon Session, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, announced here on Monday.

The bill, which has been in the process since October 2024, aims to ensure transparency, fairness and good governance in the country's sports ecosystem.

“The bill will be tabled in the Parliament during the upcoming session. I will give more details in a couple of days," Dr Mandaviya told the media at an event launching the Department of Youth Affairs’ initiatives against drug addiction.

The bill aims to establish a regulatory board, called the Sports Regulatory Board of India, with the authority to grant recognition and allocate funding to National Sports Federations (NSFs) based on their adherence to provisions related to good governance.

It has been debated for a long and kept pending because of opposition by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which has termed its provisions as interference by the government in the functioning of the NSFs, which contravenes provisions of the Olympic Charter.

The draft National Sports Governance Bill 2024 proposes the setting up of Ethics Commissions and Dispute Resolution Commissions to ensure transparency in governance.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had started the consultation process on the National Sports Governance Bill, 2024 by putting it in the public domain in October 2024, seeking suggestions/comments on its provisions.

The bill also proposes setting up some regulations for the National Olympic Committee, which is the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

It says that the NOC shall comply with all requirements applicable to it under this Bill and such additional eligibility criteria for recognition as may be prescribed by the Central Government under this Bill shall ensure that its constitution incorporates and complies with all the requirements specified in this Bill as applicable to it and any rules prescribed by the Central Government in relation thereto from time to time.

The IOA has objected to such provisions, claiming that its constitution will only adhere to provisions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Charter.

Many NSFs, too, have opposed some provisions of this bill as they go against the regulations of the International Sports Federations (IFs).

--IANS

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