National Sports Governance Bill to Hit Parliament This Monsoon

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that the long-awaited National Sports Governance Bill will be tabled during Parliament’s upcoming monsoon session, starting July 21.

Speaking at an anti-drug initiative by the Department of Youth Affairs, Mandaviya reiterated the bill’s goal: to instil higher standards of accountability, transparency, and ethics among National Sports Federations (NSFs). Central to the bill is the formation of a regulatory board empowered to grant recognition and funding based on governance compliance.

The draft also proposes independent Ethics Commissions and Dispute Resolution Commissions, setting out stringent guidelines for financial and ethical conduct within the sports ecosystem. While welcomed by many, it has sparked concerns from the Indian Olympic Association, which fears losing its autonomy.

Notably, Mandaviya confirmed that Pakistani athletes will continue to be allowed in India for international tournaments—including the Asia Cup hockey (August in Bihar) and the Junior World Cup (November in Tamil Nadu)—despite ongoing diplomatic tension following the Pahalgam terror attack.

“We’ll respect the Olympic Charter, which prohibits exclusion based on political grounds. Bilateral ties don’t affect multilateral events,” the minister stated.

As India positions itself as a contender to host the 2036 Olympics and 2030 Commonwealth Games, this governance overhaul could mark a turning point in global sports diplomacy and national accountability.