Govt tables landmark Sports Governance Bill; brings BCCI under oversight
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya introduced National Sports Governance Bill in Lok Sabha to usher in transparency, athlete welfare, and legal accountability across Indian sports bodies including BCCI.
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In a significant move aimed at transforming the landscape of Indian sports administration, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on July 23 introduced the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha. The bill marks a sweeping overhaul of the functioning and accountability of sports federations in India, including bringing the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) under the ambit of government regulation for the first time.
The legislation, introduced as Bill No. 76 of 2025, lays the foundation for transparent, ethical and athlete-centric sports governance by establishing statutory bodies, defining compliance standards, and creating an independent redressal and electoral system.
"...there is a felt need for a comprehensive legislation to improve the governance of the sports bodies and achieve better results in sports and reduce the disputes and litigation, inter alia, involving sports federations," stated the objectives of the bill.
"There is an imperative need to curb factionalism, and administrative interventions which adversely affects the organised development of sports and related activities in India and also for its better presentation before the international sports community," it added.
BCCI No Longer Untouchable
Among the most consequential implications of the bill is the inclusion of the BCCI, which has long maintained functional autonomy from government regulation — under the scope of a newly established National Sports Board. Once passed, the BCCI will be treated like any other National Sports Federation (NSF), subject to registration, compliance audits, ethical codes, and penalties for violations.
The bill explicitly mandates that recognised sports organisations, including cricket’s apex body, will now be considered public authorities under the Right to Information Act, 2005, increasing their transparency and public accountability. This could be a game-changer for the historically opaque operations of the BCCI, particularly concerning financial disclosures, team selections, and internal governance.
All recognised national sports bodies would also come under the ambit of the RTI Act, something that the BCCI has vehemently opposed since it is not dependent on government funding.
The ministry has insisted that the BCCI, which is now part of the Olympic movement following cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angles Games roster, will have to comply with the provisions of the bill once it becomes an act.
Major Reforms Under the Bill
The National Sports Governance Bill proposes a multi-pronged institutional framework. Mandaviya introduced the bill that has provisions for a National Sports Board (NSB) to create a stringent system of accountability. All National Sports Federations (NSFs) will have to attain NSB's recognition for access to central government funding.
National Sports Board (NSB): A statutory body to grant or cancel recognition to sports bodies, conduct inquiries, appoint ad hoc committees in case of governance failures, and ensure compliance with international best practices.
The NSB will comprise a chairperson and its members will be appointed by the central government from "amongst persons of ability, integrity and standing." The Board's constituents will also be expected to possess "special knowledge or practical experience in the field of public administration, sports governance, sports law and other related fields."
The appointments would be done based on the recommendations of a search-cum-selection committee, according to the draft bill that has been finalised after extensive consultations with stake-holders and public inputs.
The bill further notified that the selection committee would be made up of the Cabinet Secretary or Secretary Sports as chairperson, the Director General of the Sports Authority of India, two sports administrators who have each served as the President or Secretary General or Treasurer of a National Sports Body and one eminent sportsperson who is a Dronacharya, or Khel Ratna or Arjuna awardee.
The NSB will have the mandate to de-recognise a national body that fails to hold elections for its Executive Committee or has committed "gross irregularities in the election procedures."
Failure to publish annual audited accounts or "misused, misapplied or misappropriated public funds" would also be liable for action by the NSB but it would be required to consult the concerned global body before making its move.
National Sports Tribunal: A dedicated judicial body for swift resolution of sports disputes, with provisions for appeals to the Supreme Court (except where international arbitration applies). NST will have the powers of a civil court and decide disputes ranging from selection to election involving federations and athletes. Once instituted, Tribunal's decisions can only be challenged in the Supreme Court.
National Sports Election Panel: A roster of retired election officers to ensure fair and transparent elections in sports federations. The panel will consist of former members of the Election Commission of India or the State Election Commission or former Chief Electoral Officers of the States or Deputy Election Commissioners.
"(They) shall act as electoral officers to oversee the conduct of free and fair elections to the Executive Committees and the Athletes Committee of the National Sports Bodies," the bill stated.
The bill further has mandatory ethical guidelines aligned with international norms to safeguard athletes. Additionally, it mandates the NSB to constitute temporary governing bodies to manage federations in case of loss of international recognition, misgovernance, or misuse of public funds.
Anti-doping Mechanism
Mandaviya also introduced The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill-2025 that seeks to incorporate the changes sought by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which objected to "government interference" in the functioning of the country's Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
The act was originally passed in 2022 but its implementation had to be put on hold due to objections raised by WADA.
The world body objected to the institution of a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports, which was empowered to make recommendations to the government on anti-doping regulations.
The Board, which was to comprise a chairperson and two members appointed by the central government, was also authorised to oversee the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and even issue directions to it.
WADA rejected this provision as government interference in an autonomous body. In the amended bill, the Board has been retained but without the powers to oversee NADA or the advisory role it was previously assigned.
Towards Olympic Goals
The bill is also seen as a crucial reform ahead of India’s potential bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. It aims to align domestic governance with the Olympic and Paralympic Charters and improve India’s standing within international sporting bodies.
"...as a part of the preparatory activities for the bidding of Summer Olympic Games 2036, it is imperative that the sports governance landscape undergoes a positive transformation to bring better outcomes, sporting excellence and aids in improved performance in major international competitions," read the bill's statement of objectives.
Further, the bill makes some concessions on the issue of age cap for administrators by allowing those in the bracket of 70 to 75 to contest elections if the concerned international bodies' statutes and byelaws allow for it. It is a departure from the national sports code that capped the age limit at 70.
The bill will now be debated in Parliament and if enacted, it could reshape Indian sports governance by enforcing transparency, accountability, and ethics across the board, with cricket no longer in a league of its own.
