Overview

• Rajya Sabha approved the National Sports Governance and Anti-Doping Amendment Bills on August 12 following Lok Sabha passage on August 11, securing final parliamentary approval despite protests over Bihar’s electoral-roll revisions.
• The bill creates a National Sports Board to grant or withdraw recognition for central funding and establishes a specialised tribunal to decide athlete and federation disputes with appeals routed only to the Supreme Court.
• Recognised sports bodies that receive government grants will fall under the RTI Act, while self-funded federations such as the BCCI remain exempt from information requests.
• The anti-doping amendment removes oversight and advisory powers from a proposed national board, affirming the National Anti-Doping Agency’s operational independence in line with WADA objections.
• Opposition MPs and state advocates have urged a committee review, warning that the expedited process centralises authority over a state subject and could face constitutional challenges.