Make BCCI a public body: law panel

Make BCCI a public body: law panel

Context

Commission also wants the cricket board to be brought under RTI Act for scrutiny by any citizen

What has happened?

The 90-year-old Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should be declared a public body. The board and all its member cricket associations should be brought under the Right to Information law regime, the Law Commission of India recommended to the government on Wednesday 

Commission’s observations

• The board’s monopolistic activities, directly and indirectly, affect the fundamental rights of citizens, players, and other functionaries.
• A private citizen should be able to move the highest court against the BCCI for any violation of his fundamental rights
• Commission concluded that the BCCI exercises ‘state-like’ powers in the regulation of cricket, and thus, comes under the definition of ‘state

Why it’s concluded that BCCI is a “limb of the State”?

• Cricket board, as an entity, is permitted de facto by the state to represent the country at the international stage
• It selects the Indian cricket team
• The selected players wear the national colours and are the recipients of Arjuna awards
• The ICC recognises BCCI as the ‘official’ body representing India and neither the government, nor BCCI have ever challenged, discussed or changed the status.

Corruption concerns

It has created “an impression in the minds of the general public that corruption and other forms of malpractices are adversely affecting one of the most popular sports played in India.”