Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated on Monday that the National Sports Governance Bill, which the government has made available for public comment, has a number of provisions to encourage openness and good governance in the Indian Olympic Association and National Sports Federations (NSFs). It calls for the creation of the Sports Regulatory Board of India, which will serve as the main body responsible for recognising federations and guaranteeing that they adhere to ethical, financial, and governance requirements. It will have "autonomy and flexibility" in overseeing national sports governance. A separate appellate sports tribunal to handle all sports-related issues is another provision of the law that would lessen the need for the courts and guarantee a quicker resolution of complaints.
"There are a lot of lawsuits in the federations at the moment. Additionally, two or three federations utilise the Indian name in several sports and apply for official registration. Such factors all make governance more difficult. According to the qualifying requirements outlined by the government in this bill, the Sports Regulatory Board of India would provide affiliation," Mandaviya stated. Only approved sports organisations would be permitted to use the "Indian flag or national names," according to the proposed bill. The draft states that "violation will result in fine and punishment which can go up to one year or ₹10 lakh or both." According to the minister, a specialised sports tribunal would facilitate the prompt resolution of complaints and conflicts. Transparency will be improved since the federations must comply with the Right to Information (RTI) Act. "It is crucial that we enhance the governance model and guarantee transparency in federations in order to fulfil India's ambition to host the 2036 Olympics." In order to provide an internationally recognised governance structure that is essential for hosting major events, including the Olympics, the bill makes sure that sports federations' governance is in line with the Olympic and Paralympic charters as well as worldwide best practices.
It establishes a system of governance for NSFs and Indian Olympic/Paralympic Associations. The EC will have a maximum of 15 members; at least 30% of the executive council members should be female, and 10% of the general body's voting members would be "Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit." In order to hold free and fair elections, IOA/PCI/NSFs must hire electoral officials from a Sports Election Panel, according to the proposed bill. Additionally, the draft bill requires that athletes' commissions be established inside NSFs. The minister stated that strategies will be developed to improve the performance of Indian athletes on a worldwide scale, with a focus on talent identification and development routes. According to him, a sustainable sports ecosystem would be established and income streams will be generated via the utilisation of the public-private partnership model.
