The government introduces two bills in the Lok Sabha, India tries to change the sports regime scenario

New Delhi: Keeping an eye on India’s dialect for the 2036 Summer Olympic Games, the government on Wednesday introduced the proposed laws related to two sports in the Lok Sabha. This includes the National Sports Government Bill, 2025 that proposes to make a national level board an institution that will have comprehensive powers to make rules to ensure accountability and look after the functioning of associations, including the Cash-Rich Cricket Body Control Board for Cricket in India (BCCI).Other Bill-National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bills, 2025-International Best Practices and World Doping Codes are related to amending the current law (National Anti-Doping Act, 2022) to sync the country’s law.“This is India’s attempt to host major international sports events in the country and preparation for the same. Also, as a part of the initial activities for the bid of the Summer Olympic Games 2036, it is necessary that the sports regime landscape goes through a positive change …” In the statement of the objectives of the National Sports Government Bill, Union Sports Minister Mansuh Mandavia said.Both bills were introduced in a din by Mandavia in the House as the opposition members had indulged in noise protests against the amendment of the electoral rolls in Bihar.In addition to the provision of establishing a National Sports Board, the National Sports Government Bill also provides for the establishment of a National Sports Tribunal, which will have a civil court powers that will be from completing the controversies related to sports, from elections to the involvement of unions and athletes.However, there will be a provision to appeal to the Supreme Court against any order of the tribunal, as long as the International Charters and Laws provide for the appeal to the game before the Court of Arbitration.Once the bill becomes a law, all recognized national sports bodies, including BCCI, will come under the purview of the Rights of Rights (RTI) Act 2005. This step has long been opposed by the BCCI as it is not dependent on government funding.There is also a provision to ban the use of national name and insignia for any competition without obtaining necessary approval in the bill.The establishment of national sports glory bodies for respectively recognized sports organizations, and a National Sports Election Panel was established which has other major provisions of bills to oversee independent and fair elections for the Athlete Committee of Executive Committees and National Sports Bodies to include former members of the Election Commission of India or the State Election Commission.Other Bill-National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill-2025-Vivan tries to include changes sought by Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which objected to government intervention in the functioning of the country’s anti-doping agency (NADA) in the past.Mandavia said in the bill’s statement, “The Government of India has been a constant effort to strengthen the anti-doping structure and strengthen the amendment to the National Doping Anti-Doping Act, with the need to align the said Act with international best practices and world anti-doping code.”The bill tries to increase the institutional and operational freedom of the National Doping Anti-Doping Appeal Panel and the National Anti-Doping Agency to ensure autonomy in its decisions related to operations, investigations and enforcement activities.