News– The Central Government tabled the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha to reform and modernize the governance structure of sports administration in India.
Key Features of the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025
1. Establishment of Statutory Sports Bodies
- National Olympic Committee (NOC): Designated as the sole governing body for Olympic sports in India.
- National Paralympic Committee (NPC): Sole authority for governing Paralympic sports in the country.
- Other Federations: The Bill formally recognises National Sports Federations (NSFs) and Regional Sports Federations (RSFs) to streamline sports governance at national and regional levels.
2. Creation of the National Sports Board
- A statutory regulatory body akin to SEBI, tasked with overseeing the functioning of all sports federations, including the BCCI.
- Empowered to grant recognition to sports bodies and enforce uniform governance standards.
- Will register all affiliated units of NSFs to improve transparency and coordination in the sports ecosystem.
- Equipped with budgetary support and capacity to hire domain experts in law, auditing, and governance.
3. Setting up of the National Sports Tribunal
- An independent dispute resolution body with powers equivalent to a civil court.
- Headed by a Chairperson (a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge or Chief Justice of a High Court) along with two members with expertise in sports, administration, and law.
- Responsible for adjudicating disputes related to:
- Athlete selection
- Federation elections
- Governance matters
- Appeals from the Tribunal can be made only to the Supreme Court.
- Civil courts will have no jurisdiction over matters covered by the Tribunal.
- All expenses will be met from the Consolidated Fund of India.
4. National Sports Election Panel- A dedicated panel to ensure free and fair elections for the Executive and Athletes’ Committees of all recognised National Sports Bodies.
5. Code of Ethics and Transparency
- Mandatory for every National Sports Body to adopt a Code of Ethics in line with international norms.
- Emphasis on governance through information—ensuring federations make essential data publicly accessible.
6. Safe Sport Policy and Grievance Redressal
- Requires all sports bodies to implement a Safe Sports Policy to protect vulnerable groups, especially women and minor athletes.
- Grievance redressal mechanisms must be athlete-friendly, transparent, and time-bound.
7. Age and Tenure norms for Administrators
- Upper age limit raised to 75 years.
- Removal of fixed tenure restrictions to help Indian administrators secure leadership roles in international sports bodies.
8. Bringing the BCCI under the regulatory framework
- Though traditionally outside the ambit of government oversight, the Bill proposes bringing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) under its regulatory scope.
- Once the Bill is enacted, the BCCI will have to get official recognition from the new National Sports Board. Any disputes involving the BCCI will be handled by the National Sports Tribunal.
