Union sports minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday announced that the long-awaited National Sports Governance Bill will be presented in Parliament during the monsoon session, starting July 21. The minister made the announcement while addressing the media at an event launching the Department of Youth Affairs’ initiatives against drug addiction.
“The bill will be tabled in the Parliament during the upcoming session. I will give more details in a couple of days,” Mandaviya said about the bill, which has been in the process since October 2024, and aims to ensure transparency, fairness and good governance in the country’s sports ecosystem.
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. Moreover, the draft sports bill proposes the creation of Ethics Commissions and Dispute Resolution Commissions to ensure transparency in governance.
The bill has been long debated and has faced opposition from the Indian Olympic Association, which believes that a regulatory board would undermine its role as the primary body for all NSFs.
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.
Conclave on Nasha Mukti
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is set to organise a three-day Chintan Shivir in Varanasi from July 18 to 20 to raise awareness among youth about the dangers of drug addiction. The aim of the conclave, titled ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva For Viksit Bharat’, is to develop a comprehensive national strategy to make India drug-free by 2047.
At the conclusion of the conclave, the final action plan, known as the ‘Kashi Declaration’, will be released based on the discussions. The conclave will bring together the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Justice, Ministry of Culture, the Narcotics Control Bureau, NALSA (National Legal Services Authority), and youth wings of 100 spiritual organisations. The event, to be held at the Rudraksh Convention Centre, will be attended by 500 participants, with five representatives from each spiritual organisation.