Why in the news?

Recently, the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, was given assent by the President.

Sports governance in India

• Sports regulation falls within the jurisdiction of the states, as per Entry 33 of the State List of the Seventh Schedule.
• Existing policies include the National Sports Policy (NSP) (1984, revised 2001) and the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007.
  • Recently, the Cabinet approved the NSP 2025, superseding the 2001 policy. 
    • It is structured around five core pillars, focusing on global excellence, economic and social development through sports, making sports a people movement, and integrating sports with education.

Key highlights of the Act

• National sports bodies: provide for establishing the National Olympic Committee, National Paralympic Committee, and National and Regional Sports Federations for each designated sport.
  • These bodies will be affiliated with respective international bodies and will have affiliated units at the state and district levels.
  • These bodies will be governed by international charters and statutes.  
• National sports board (NSB) : It will grant recognition to sports bodies and register their affiliate unit. Only recognised bodies will receive funds from the central government.
  • National Sports Body must formulate a Code of Ethics for its stakeholders, setting minimum standards for ethical and appropriate conduct. 
  • A recognised organisation shall be considered a public authority under the RTI Act, 2005
  • The central government will decide its composition and appoint members on the recommendations of search-cum-selection committee.
  • To be appointed to NSB, a person must have special knowledge or experience in public administration, sports governance, sports law, and other related fields.
• National Sports Tribunal: To adjudicate "sports-related disputes".  
  • It will not have jurisdiction over specified disputes such as those in relation to games organised by international bodies and internal disputes of national sports bodies.
• Oversight of elections: The central government will establish a national panel of electoral officers to oversee elections of national sports bodies. 
  • Every national sports body must also constitute an electoral panel to oversee elections of its affiliates.
• Powers of the central government: The Central government may exempt a national body or its affiliates from any provision of Act, if necessary in the public interest for promotion of that sport.

Need for a comprehensive sports Law in India

• Absence of a comprehensive and uniform sports law: leading to inconsistent and often outdated regulations
  • The National Sports Development Bill, 2013, was not enacted.
• Politician Domination in NSFs: Politicians with minimal sports expertise often occupy key positions in NSFs.
  • Earlier, FIFA suspended All India Football Federation (AIFF) due to undue influence from third parties.
• Overlapping roles and responsibilities of key organizations: like the SAI, the IOA, and NSFs create confusion and delays.
• Inadequate Funding and Utilisation: Less than 40% of the allocated budget for 2022-2023 was utilised for athlete development. 
• Ineffective Policy Implementation: The National Sports Policy (1984, revised 2001) has not been successfully put into practice.
• Olympics 2036 Preparation: The legislation supports India's bid for the 2036 Olympics by ensuring compliance with the Olympic Charter and global best practices.

Conclusion

The National Sports Governance Act, 2025, aims to create a transparent, accountable, and athlete-centric sports ecosystem, aligning with global best practices and ensuring robust oversight for sustained excellence in Indian sports.