Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tabled the National Sports Governance Bill in Lok Sabha today, July 23, which will bring the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) under its aegis. Although the board doesn’t receive funding from the government, its inclusion has been on the cards for a very long time, especially after India announced its bid to host the 2036 Olympics. With this, the BCCI will join the 45 National Sports Federations (NSFs) already under the Sports Ministry.
According to a report by The Indian Express, while BCCI will continue to function as an autonomous body like all other NSFs, all the disputes will be resolved by the proposed National Sports Tribunal.
“BCCI don’t take ministry funding, but an Act of Parliament applies to them… They will remain an autonomous body like all other NSFs, but their disputes, if any, will also come to the proposed National Sports Tribunal, which will become the dispute resolution body for sports matters ranging from elections to selection,” The Indian Express quoted a source as saying.
So, will the Rs 18,760 cr worth BCCI report to the Sports Ministry?
Since BCCI will be recognised as an NSF, it will fall under the Ministry of Sports and will be monitored for governance, compliance, and financial accountability.
As per the source quoted by The Indian Express, the BCCI will have to “comply” with the “law of the land”, and even though they don’t take funding, an “Act of Parliament” will still apply to it.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told the publication that they are waiting for the Bill to be tabled in Parliament to get more clarity on its provisions. According to a report by the news agency ANI, BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla also said that the board will first study the Bill before expressing its views on it.
This development comes after the BCCI, formed under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act of 1975, has consistently refused to come under the NSFs, citing its lack of financial dependence on the Ministry of Sports.
The Bill will bring more transparency, reforms for athletes and a quick resolution of disputes. It will solve problems such as frequent litigation over NSF elections and athlete selections, lack of a dedicated dispute resolution forum, weak or token athlete representation in federations, gender imbalance in sports leadership and no standard electoral process across federations.
The government’s role here will be that of a facilitator and not of a controller since it is planning to ensure good governance and ethics.
1- Retirement age increased
The Bill has proposed to increase the retirement age to 75 years from the current 70 years. According to the cricket board’s constitution, no one could hold the office after turning 70. This will probably change once the Bill becomes an Act, and President Roger Binny, who turned 70 recently, will be able to continue serving in his position. The cricket board’s Constitution was approved by the Supreme Court.
2- NSFs to come under RTI
As part of another major proposal, all 45 recognised NSFs will fall under the Right to Information Act of 2005.
3- Tribunal to fast-track disputes
A tribunal, called the National Sports Tribunal (NST), will also be formed to fast-track all the disputes within the sports fraternity, including the athletes, the officials and the coaches.
Any verdict by the tribunal can only be challenged by the Supreme Court.
However, there is a catch. The tribunal doesn’t hold the power to adjudicate disputes which have arisen from the events organised by international organisations. It can be either Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or Paralympic Games.
The tribunal will also not be able to give a verdict on the anti-doping cases. These will be probed by the National Anti-Doping Agency. A National Anti-Doping Bill will also be introduced in the Parliament today. For those unaware, India ranks number one in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2023 testing figures among countries which analysed 5,000 or more samples.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has confirmed that all candidates with offer letters will be hired, but joining dates may be changed due to business requirements. Reports suggest 600 experienced professionals may face delays in joining. NITES has requested intervention from the union Labour minister. TCS is also facing criticism for its new bench policy.
