New Delhi, July 23 (PTI): India has made a significant move towards aligning its sports administration with global powers like the USA, UK, China, and Japan by introducing the National Sports Governance Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Once passed into law, the bill will culminate an initiative that began in 2011 when then Sports Minister Ajay Maken initiated efforts for legislation that would set benchmarks for sports administrators. The enduring administrators in sports have often been criticized for being embroiled in power struggles, infighting, financial misappropriation, and showing little will to tackle these issues. However, the new bill aims to ensure accountability through the establishment of a National Sports Board, a National Sports Tribunal, and a National Sports Election Panel.
This bill is the result of months of dialogue that current Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya initiated with various stakeholders after he assumed office last year. Upon finalizing the bill, Mandaviya acknowledged the efforts of Maken, his political adversary from the Congress party, for his commendable work on shaping the National Sports Code of 2011, which has been operational until now. The preamble of the new bill highlights that the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011 implemented good governance practices essential for the healthy evolution of sports in the country.
Here's a timeline tracking the evolution from the code to a bill full of significant reforms:
The Journey:
- In 2011, the Ministry crafted the Draft National Sports Development Bill and presented it to the Cabinet for approval. It faced staunch opposition due to stringent age and tenure limits for administrators.
- By July 2013, a revised Draft National Sports Development Bill was prepared and made public for suggestions and feedback, though it was never pursued. Instead, a year later, the Delhi High Court upheld the Sports Code 2011.
- In 2015, a Working Group was formed to redraft the National Sports Development Code, 2011. However, this move was challenged in the Delhi High Court due to conflicts of interest, with the inclusion of top figures of the Indian Olympic Association.
- In 2017, a Committee led by then Sports Secretary Injeti Srinivas developed the '(Draft) National Code for Good Governance in Sports, 2017', involving Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra and other sports luminaries as members. The Draft Sports Code faced legal challenges, compelling the Delhi High Court to demand a sealed report submission.
- In 2019, an Expert Committee under Justice (Retd.) Mukundakam Sharma was established to review the Draft Sports Code 2017 and recommend measures for wider acceptance. Yet, the Delhi High Court's stay order against the committee's formation remains effective.
- In October 2024, the Draft National Sports Governance Bill was publicly released for feedback. Comprehensive consultations were held with the IOA, National Sports Federations, athletes, coaches, legal experts, and private entities involved in athlete management. It was shared with international bodies like the International Olympic Committee and international federations such as World Athletics, FIFA, and the International Hockey Federation. Over 700 responses from various stakeholders and the general public were received, leading to its introduction in Parliament.
The differences with the Sports Code:
- Age Cap: The previous Sports Code restricted administrators' age to 70. The new bill allows serving an office term if the nominee is below 70 at nomination, with an additional five-year relaxation permissible under international statutes and bylaws of concerned sports bodies.
- Tenure: Previously, the Sports Code allowed three terms, with a cooling-off period for the President after two terms. It allowed two terms for Treasurer and Secretary. The new bill grants three successive terms (12-year maximum) for office-bearers (President, Secretary General, and Treasurer), post which they are eligible for Executive Committee election after a cooling-off period, ensuring continuity and retaining competence within the system as per the sports ministry's internal sources.
- Executive Committee: The old sports code lacked mandatory women's representation, limiting committee membership to 15. The bill mandates at least four women and two sportspersons of outstanding merit in the Executive Committee.
- Regulatory Body: Previously absent in the sports code, regulatory oversight was under the sports ministry to recognize or derecognize bodies. The new bill introduces a National Sports Board for this purpose.
- Additionally, the National Sports Tribunal will adjudicate sporting disputes, while the National Sports Election Panel will oversee elections in NSFs, and the Ethics Commission will play significant roles once the bill becomes law.
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