Overview

• President Droupadi Murmu gave assent on August 18, converting the bill into the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, according to a Gazette notification.
• The law creates a National Sports Board to oversee and recognise national federations, including the BCCI, with powers to grant or revoke affiliation, audit operations, and supervise polls via a National Sports Election Panel.
• A National Sports Tribunal, headed by a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge or a High Court Chief Justice, will handle selection and election disputes with civil-court powers, with appeals limited to the Supreme Court.
• An amendment narrows Right to Information coverage to grant-receiving bodies, effectively excluding the largely self-funded BCCI from RTI obligations.
• The Act authorises the central government to restrict India’s participation in international competitions in “extraordinary circumstances” where “national interest” is cited.