Redefining the Landscape of Indian Sports with the National Sports Governance Bill
India's National Sports Governance Bill: A Game-Changer for Transparency and Accountability
The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, presented in the Lok Sabha on July 23, 2025, promises to revolutionise the administration of national sports bodies in India, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The comprehensive legislative reform aims to establish a structured framework for recognition, administration, transparency, and accountability of sports federations.
Key Features and Implications
- Establishment of the National Sports Board (NSB): The NSB, a statutory body with powers similar to SEBI, will oversee all national sports federations, including the BCCI. It can grant or suspend recognition of sports bodies for non-compliance with governance norms. The NSB comprises a chairperson and members appointed by the central government through a search-cum-selection committee, featuring senior government officials and distinguished sports personalities.
- Administrative Structure of National Bodies: Each national sports body must have a general body with equal representation from affiliate members, and an executive committee capped at 15 members. The executive committee must include at least two outstanding sportspersons and four women to ensure gender inclusivity. Age and term limits apply to executive committee members, aligning with international standards. The tenure for key posts, such as President, Secretary General, and Treasurer, is limited to three consecutive terms totalling 12 years.
- Code of Ethics and Grievance Mechanisms: The Bill mandates national sports bodies to adopt a code of ethics regulating conduct by members, affiliates, athletes, coaches, and sponsors. It also requires establishing grievance redressal systems to handle complaints, enhancing accountability and fair play.
- National Sports Tribunal (NST): The NST, an independent dispute resolution body, will have powers akin to a civil court to resolve conflicts concerning athlete selection, federation elections, and other issues. Decisions of the Tribunal are appealable to the Supreme Court, providing a structured, judicial mechanism for sports-related disputes.
- Alignment with International Sports Charters: The Bill requires compliance with international federation statutes and charters, ensuring Indian sports federations, including the BCCI, align with global standards and practices. In case of conflicts, the central government may issue clarifications, and the NSB collaborates with international bodies, particularly on athlete welfare.
The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, aims to professionalise and standardise sports governance in India by introducing a central regulatory authority (National Sports Board), enforcing gender and tenure norms, ensuring transparency via mandatory auditing and grievance mechanisms, and providing a judicial forum (National Sports Tribunal) for disputes. For the BCCI, this represents a shift towards greater government oversight, structured accountability, and alignment with international governance norms, likely improving transparency and administrative robustness in Indian cricket administration.
The bill also aims to end dynastic politics and entrenched power networks that have often hindered progress in Indian sports. It mandates stringent eligibility conditions for key posts within sports bodies, enforcing both age and tenure limits to prevent administrative monopolies. Recognised sports organisations will now come under the ambit of the Right to Information Act (RTI), a clause that could particularly challenge the BCCI.
The National Sports Election Panel will oversee fair elections in sports federations. The bill proposes the creation of the National Sports Board (NSB) with overriding powers to grant, suspend, or revoke recognition of National Sports Federations (NSFs). The tenure for positions like President, Secretary General, and Treasurer will now be restricted to three consecutive terms or 12 years. All sports federations will come under the Right to Information Act (RTI) for transparency.
Key triggers for suspension of NSFs include failure to conduct fair elections, non-publication of audited accounts, or misuse of public funds. The National Sports Governance Bill 2025 aims to restructure India's sports ecosystem for transparency, accountability, and athlete-centric governance. The National Sports Tribunal will address over 350 ongoing sports disputes across India. The Tribunal will be established to fast-track sports disputes with oversight from the Supreme Court. An age limit of 70 years has been set, extendable to 75 if international sports statutes require it. The bill grants the central government discretionary powers to regulate national representation and insignias. The Executive Committee (EC) of any sports federation will be capped at 15 members. The NSB will have members appointed by the central government through a search-cum-selection committee.
The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, centers around the establishment of the National Sports Board (NSB) to oversee sports federations, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). This move aims to professionalize and standardize sports governance in India, bringing transparency, fair representation, and enhanced accountability to national sports bodies.
The NSB will be instrumental in ending dynastic politics and entrenched power networks, enforcing age and tenure limits, and ensuring transparency through the Right to Information Act, particularly challenging the BCCI. The National Sports Tribunal, an independent dispute resolution body, will fast-track sports disputes, providing a structured, judicial mechanism for resolving conflicts in Indian sports.
