Govt set to bring bcci under new sports bill rti act

Govt set to bring bcci under new sports bill rti act

New Delhi: The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 set to be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday will bring the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) under its ambit, Union sports ministry officials said on Tuesday, implying that the board will also come under the Right to Information (RTI) Act as it will be a recognised national sports federation (NSF).

“Every sports federation in the country will come under this Act. BCCI too will come under it,” a top ministry official said on Tuesday.

The bill also raises the upper age limit for officials to 75 years from 70, which has been welcomed by NSFs. That means Roger Binny, 70, will be eligible to continue as BCCI president.

“We will have to study the Bill and then we will see what we need to do,” said BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.

The sports ministry in 2010 declared all NSFs as “public authority” under the RTI Act, 2005. However, BCCI, which has been mostly governed by heavyweight politicians and administrators, pulled its weight to stay outside the Act’s ambit. That scenario will change once the National Sports Governance Act takes effect and BCCI comes under its purview. “A recognised sports organisation shall be considered as a public authority under the RTI Act with respect to the exercise of its functions, duties and powers under this Act,” according to the draft bill.

Earlier attempts to bring BCCI under the umbrella of NSF, needed to get annual recognition from the government, had failed. The world’s richest cricket board fields the India teams, but does not depend on government grants or other financial assistance.

The Bill aims to bring a comprehensive legislation for NSFs and its affiliate state and district units. The effort is to improve governance, reduce disputes and litigation involving the federations by setting up a dedicated National Sports Tribunal, streamline selection of athletes, increase athletes’ representation and gender balance in national sports bodies.

One of the reasons BCCI is being brought under the Act is because cricket (T20) has been included in the Olympics for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. International Cricket Council (ICC) is now a recognised Olympic federation.

The draft Bill is part of India’s “preparatory activities” as it bids to host the 2036 Olympics. It says it is “imperative that the sports governance undergoes a positive transformation...”

The Bill raises the upper age limit for officials to 75 years, which has been welcomed by NSFs. The age limit as per the current National Sports Code is 70. BCCI follows the age and tenure guidelines of the Sports Code.

The Bill will allow anyone to seek election to the executive committee “provided that such person shall not be more than 70 years of age on the last date of nomination”.

Once the Bill becomes law, for anyone to be elected president, general-secretary or treasurer, they must have served at least two terms in the executive committee. The only exception will be “sportsperson of outstanding merit”. Another important feature of the Bill is forming a National Sports Board with powers to grant recognition to NSFs and registration to affiliate units, suspend and cancel their recognition, and conduct inquiries into matters such as misuse of public funds, etc.

A National Sports Tribunal will also be set up for an “independent, speedy, effective and cost-efficient disposal of sports related disputes…”

The parties can go in appeal to the Supreme Court within 30 days from the date of the tribunal’s decision. A National Sports Election Panel will be formed to monitor elections to the EC and athletes’ committee of the NSFs. This panel will be set up by the central government on recommendations of the NSB, having retired a chief election commissioner or election commissioner or deputy election commissioner or retired state election commissioner or chief electoral officers of the states.

A sports ministry official said the laws have been framed keeping in mind the autonomy of sports governing bodies in line with the Olympic Charter and statutes of international federations. NSFs including BCCI will have to redraw their governance structure as per the Act that mandates an executive committee of not more than 15 members, inclusion of at least two sportspersons of outstanding merit, two from the athletes commission, and four women members. There is a provision to have ex-officio and other members, nominated and elected, conforming to international charters and bylaws.

The president, secretary general or treasurer of federations may hold office for up to three terms. They will be eligible for election after a mandatory cooling-off period of one term.