Source: The post National Sports Governance Act, 2025 has been created, based on the article “National Sports Governance Act will ensure sports bodies do not function as fiefdoms” published in “Indian Express” on 4 September 2025. National Sports Governance Act 2025.
UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper- 2- Governance
Context: Sports governance in India has historically suffered from politicisation, lack of transparency, and weak accountability. The administration of sports federations was earlier governed by the National Sports Development Code of India, a stop-gap arrangement riddled with loopholes. The enactment of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, represents a watershed moment, providing a statutory framework to regulate and democratise sports bodies.
Issues in the pre-Act regime
- Fiefdoms of political satraps: In the pre-Act regime, sports federations were treated as fiefdoms of political satraps, dominated largely by non-sportspersons, electoral malpractices and overstaying of tenure.
- Judicial intervention: Judicial intervention became frequent, with over 350 cases pending in various courts, leading to the appointment of Committees of Administrators (e.g., AIFF, WFI).
- International suspensions: Several federations faced international suspensions — FIFA in 2022, WFI in 2023, and the Amateur Kabaddi Federation in 2024 — which disrupted India’s participation in global events.
- Victimisation of athletes: Athletes became the ultimate victims, as their careers were jeopardised due to litigation, administrative paralysis, and lack of institutional support.
Key provisions of the Act
- National Sports Board: The Act establishes a National Sports Board to serve as the central recognition authority for federations, thereby ending legitimacy battles between rival associations.
- National Olympic & Paralympic Committees: It also sets up the National Olympic Committee and the National Paralympic Committee, which must adopt international best practices.
- Governance reforms: Governance reforms mandate that executive committees cannot exceed 15 members, and they must include at least two eminent sportspersons and four women. The Act also prescribes strict age and tenure limits to prevent monopolisation of positions.
- Sports Tribunal: A National Sports Tribunal has been created to provide specialist adjudication, with appeals permitted only to the Supreme Court, which will reduce litigation backlog.
- Electoral oversight: Electoral oversight will be ensured through a national panel of electoral officers as well as affiliate-level panels.
- Disqualification clause: Non-compliance with these provisions can lead to disqualification, creating a strong deterrent.
Significance of the Act
- Democratisation: Ends the monopoly of entrenched elites; greater role for sportspersons.
- Transparency & accountability: Codified norms on elections, tenure, and representation.
- Legal certainty: Replaces fragmented codes and court-driven governance with statutory authority.
- Athlete-centric governance: Puts the careers and aspirations of sportspersons at the centre.
- Global credibility: Prevents suspensions by international federations; aligns with IOC/FIFA standards.
Challenges and concerns
- Centre’s control vs autonomy: Risk of over-centralisation affecting independence of federations.
- Implementation gap: Effective monitoring of hundreds of state/district bodies may strain capacity.
- Resistance from entrenched interests: Political elites may find ways to circumvent provisions.
Question: Critically examine the significance of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, in reforming sports administration in India.
