Sports Ministry Introduces National Anti-Doping Bill 2025 To Boost NADA's Autonomy
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya introduced the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in Lok Sabha to enhance NADA's independence and align with WADA standards.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya introduced the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The proposed legislation aims to provide greater operational independence to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), aligning India's framework with global standards set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Contentious Board Retained, but Powers Curtailed
One of the notable features of the bill is the retention of the National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports—a provision that had drawn criticism in the original 2022 Act. However, the Board will no longer have control over the NADA Appeals Panel, a key change aimed at reducing government influence over doping-related adjudication.
Under the original act passed in 2022, the Board had the authority to constitute the appeals panel and oversee NADA's activities. These provisions were flagged by WADA as signs of government interference, leading to a delay in the Act's implementation.
The amended bill explicitly states:
'The Director General or any other staff member of the Agency shall have operational independence from any National Sports Federation, International Federation, National Olympic Committee, National Paralympic Committee, or any Government department or agency with responsibility for sport or anti-doping."
WADA Compliance Prevents Possible Suspension
A day before the bill was tabled, a sports ministry source told PTI that the amendments were essential to avoid potential sanctions from WADA.
'If we had implemented the 2022 act, it would have invited a ban from WADA. Our lab would have been de-recognised. So, the changes were necessary," the source said.
India has been under close scrutiny by WADA in recent years, and aligning with global anti-doping standards was critical to maintaining its credibility and operational continuity in international sports.
The introduction of the amended bill comes shortly after India emerged as the top country in terms of total doping tests conducted in 2023 among nations that analyzed 5,000 or more samples, according to WADA figures.
In 2023, India's positivity rate stood at 3.8%, with 214 Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) out of 5,606 samples tested. This marked an increase in both sample size and positivity rate compared to 2022, when 3,865 tests yielded a 3.2% positivity rate.
Athletics, Weightlifting Lead in Doping Violations
Among Indian sports, athletics accounted for the highest number of positive cases in 2023 with 61 AAFs from 1,223 samples, including 567 in-competition, 539 out-of-competition urine samples, and 117 blood samples.
(with PTI inputs)
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
17 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Indian forces would have captured PoK if they had more time: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday congratulated the Indian forces for their bravery during Operation Sindoor and said they would have even captured Pakistan Occupied Kashmir if they had more time. Talking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Yadav said that while the government talks about Pakistan to garner votes, China is the real threat. "We congratulate the forces for their bravery during Operation Sindoor and the kind of situations they face. If they had more opportunity, perhaps they would have even taken Pakistan Occuped Kashmir," Yadav said. The Samajwadi Party chief questioned why the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack were still at large. "Where did the terrorists disappear?" he asked. Stating that China is a bigger threat than Pakistan, he urged the Union government to bring a policy to ban import of goods from China. "The government should decide to put a ban on imports from China for 10 years. They should make a plan to adopt Swadeshi," he said, adding, "They talk about Pakistan because they want votes, but the real danger is from China. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Shashi Tharoor May Keep 'Maunvrat' During Op Sindoor Debate. Rift With Cong or Strategic Silence?
Will Shashi Tharoor speak in Parliament during the Operation Sindoor, Pahalgam attack discussion? The Congress MP triggered more rumours by saying he will maintain 'maunvrat', or silence, in Parliament. As the Lok Sabha debates Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, Tharoor, known for backing the Centre's muscular foreign policy, has chosen a vow of silence. Sources say the Congress high command reached out to him to speak, but he refused. Is it political defiance? Or a quiet protest against a party that's increasingly uncomfortable with his support for PM Modi's stand on Pakistan? Tharoor was earlier picked to lead an all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor and faced heat from within Congress ever since. His refusal to toe the party line, and praise for India's military, is adding to speculation about a growing rift.#shashitharoor #operationsindoor #maunvrat #congressrift #modiforeignpolicy #parliamentdebate #indiafirst #pahalgamattack #bjpvscongress #tharoorsilence #nationalsecurity #rahulgandhi #pmmodi #indianpolitics #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews
Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘He should have asked his bowlers to bowl underarm like Greg Chappell': Ashwin takes a dig at Ben Stokes' draw offer and sledging Jadeja
The final day of the fourth Test between India and England in Manchester saw its share of controversies as England captain Ben Stokes showed frustration over Indian batsmen Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refusing a handshake and draw offer with one hour remaining. While Jadeja and Sundar stitched an unbroken 202-run fifth-wicket partnership to end England's hopes of victory, Stokes targeted them verbally, asking Jadeja: 'You want to get a Test hundred against Harry Brook?' With Stokes opting to bowl part-timers Harry Brook and Joe Root in the mandatory last hour, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin sarcastically suggested Stokes should have gone further. 'I am actually disappointed. He (Ben Stokes) should have asked his bowlers to bowl underarm like Greg Chappell. It would have looked nice. Please don't talk about the spirit of cricket, sportsmanship. This is ridiculous,' Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat. 'What is the rule? If both captains believe the game cannot head towards a result, they can agree to a draw. One captain wanted to close it out. Why? First, he didn't want to tire his bowlers. Second, 'I am frustrated. You should also not be happy.' The second point isn't in the rules. According to the first point, India was right. If I were captain, I would have played all 15 overs.' While Stokes cited protecting his frontline bowlers from fatigue and injury, the incident drew reactions from across the cricketing world, including Indian coach Gautam Gambhir, who defended India's right to bat. At the start of the final hour, Jadeja was on 89 and Sundar on 80. Both went on to complete centuries—Sundar's maiden Test hundred and Jadeja's fifth. Ashwin called Stokes' behavior 'double standards.' 'Double standards. They defined it in the last ten minutes today. You're frustrated you can't win, so you fight with your players, punch the ball, do whatever. But by offering a handshake, you're saying, 'I'm frustrated, so you also don't get a hundred. You also go crying.' How is this fair? He's battled since morning against Archer, Hoggard, Gough, Flintoff. Should he leave his century? Your question was, 'Do you want a century against Harry Brook?' No, he wants a century. Bring Steve Harmison, bring Flintoff! They wouldn't say no. You're bowling Harry Brook—that's your mistake, not ours.' Stokes exchanged words with Jadeja, while England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett also sledged the Indian pair. Crawley was heard telling Sundar: 'F***ing hell Washi, get on with it,' with Jofra Archer adding: 'If you wanted a hundred, you should have batted like it earlier.' Sundar reached his maiden Test ton before the teams agreed to a draw after five overs. Ashwin mocked Crawley's comments, declaring the result an 'Indian win': 'Zak Crawley told him, 'If you wanted 100, you should have batted quicker.' That's his choice. You want quick runs and get out at 70? That's your game. Zak Crawley or Ben Stokes, if you were batting, would you leave your hundred for the 'spirit of the game'? I feel like laughing. It's crazy. That's why I say this isn't a draw, it's an Indian win.'
