The National Sports Governance Act, 2025

(1) This Act may be called the National Sports GovernanceAct, 2025. (2) It shall come into force on such date1as the Central Government may, by notification in theOfficial Gazette, appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act, andany reference in any such provision to the commencement of this Act shall be construed as a reference tothe coming into force of that provision.

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,--- (a) "ad hoc administrative body" means a body constituted for ad hoc administration undersection 11; (b) "affiliate unit" means the State, district or other units of,--- (i) the National Olympic Committee; (ii) the National Paralympic Committee; (iii) the National Sports Federation; and (iv) the Regional Sports Federation; (c) "Athletes Committee", "Disputes Resolution Committee", "Ethics Committee" and "ExecutiveCommittee", by whatever name called, means the "Athletes Committee", "Disputes Resolution Committee", "Ethics Committee" and "Executive Committee", respectively, of a National SportsBody; (d) "Board" means the National Sports Board established under sub-section (1) of section 5; (e) "Board recognition" means recognition of a sports organisation by the Board under this Act; (f) "bye-laws" means the memorandum of association or articles of association, by whatever namecalled, of a sports organisation; (g) "designated sport" means any sport discipline as may be specified by the Central Government,by notification, to be a designated sport for a specific region or State or for the whole of India; (h) "International Charters and Statutes" means the Olympic Charter and other Charters andStatutes of the international sports governing bodies and include any bye-laws, rules, regulations orconstitution, by whatever name called, as may be adopted, amended or issued by such bodies fromtime to time; (i) "International Federation" means--- (A) a federation recognised as such by the International Olympic Committee in respect of anOlympic sport; or (B) a federation recognised as such by the International Paralympic Committee in respect of aParalympic sport; or (C) a federation which regulates the sport at international level in respect of non-Olympic ornon-Paralympic sports; (j) "International Olympic Committee" means the governing body for the Olympic Games; (k) "International Paralympic Committee" means the governing body for the Paralympic Games; (l) "international recognition" means the recognition of a national sports governing body by theconcerned international sports governing body; (m) "International Sports Body" means an international sports governing body such as theInternational Olympic Committee or the International Paralympic Committee or InternationalFederation or a continental governing body for sports; (n) "National Olympic Committee" means the National Olympic Committee established undersection 3 as a national sports governing body and recognised as the National Olympic Committee ofIndia by the International Olympic Committee; (o) "National Paralympic Committee" means the National Paralympic Committee established undersection 3 as a national sports governing body and recognised as the National Paralympic Committee ofIndia by the International Paralympic Committee; (p) "National Sports Body" means a national sports governing body such as the National OlympicCommittee or the National Paralympic Committee or the National Sports Federation or the RegionalSports Federation, established under section 3; (q) "National Sports Election Panel" means the National Sports Election Panel notified undersection 16 to oversee the conduct of free and fair elections to the Executive Committee and theAthletes Committee of the National Sports Bodies; (r) "National Sports Federation" means a National Sports Federation established under section 3 asa national sports governing body for a designated sport; (s) "National Sports Promotion Organisation" means a sports organisation or body contributingtowards the development of sports, such as talent identification and their nurturing, policy advocacyrelating to sports administration or welfare and recognised by the Board under sub-section (7) ofsection 8; (t) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette and the expression "notify"or "notified", shall be construed accordingly; (u) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made by the Central Government under this Act; (v) "recognised sports organisation" means a sports organisation recognised by the Board as aNational Sports Body under sub-section (1) of section 8; (w) "Regional Sports Federation" means a Regional Sports Federation established under section 3as national sports governing body for a designated sport; (x) "regulations" means regulations made by the Board under this Act; (y) "Secretary General" means the Secretary General or the Secretary of a National Sports Body; (z) "sportsperson of outstanding merit" means a sportsperson referred to in the proviso to clause (a)of sub-section (1) of section 4; (za) "State" means a State specified in the First Schedule to the Constitution and includes a Unionterritory; (zb) "Tribunal" means the National Sports Tribunal constituted under sub-section (1) of section 17.

(1) The following bodies shall beestablished as the national sports governing bodies for their respective recognised sports organisations,namely:--- (a) the National Olympic Committee; (b) the National Paralympic Committee; (c) a National Sports Federation for each designated sport; and (d) a Regional Sports Federation for each designated sport. (2) There shall be only one National Olympic Committee and one National Paralympic Committee,each governing multi-sport disciplines. (3) The National Olympic Committee shall have an international recognition and affiliation of theInternational Olympic Committee. (4) The National Paralympic Committee shall have an international recognition and affiliation of theInternational Paralympic Committee. (5) Every National Sports Federation shall have an international recognition and affiliation of theconcerned international sports governing body: Provided that this sub-section shall not apply to a designated sport which does not have aninternational sports governing body. (6) Every Regional Sports Federation shall have the relevant affiliations as may be prescribed.

(1) Every National SportsBody shall have,--- (a) a General Body, consisting of equal number of representatives from each of its affiliate unitsand such other ex officio members as per its bye-laws and the International Charters and Statutes, asapplicable: Provided that it shall have representation of such sportspersons of outstanding merit and such othercategories of persons, as may be prescribed; (b) an Executive Committee which shall consist of not more than fifteen members, of whom--- (i) at least two shall be sportspersons of outstanding merit; (ii) two shall be from the Athletes Committee to be elected from amongst themselves; and (iii) such number of ex officio and other members shall be nominated or elected, as the case maybe, as per the International Charters and Statutes and the bye-laws: Provided that at least four members shall be women: Provided further that the voting rights of elected representatives of the Athletes Committee in theExecutive Committee shall be as determined by the bye-laws; (c) an Ethics Committee to be constituted as per its bye-laws and the International Charters andStatutes, as applicable: Provided that the Ethics Committee of the National Olympic Committee shall function as theEthics Committee of any National Sports Body which does not have such Committee; (d) a Dispute Resolution Committee to be constituted as per its bye-laws and the InternationalCharters and Statutes, as applicable: Provided that the Dispute Resolution Committee of the National Olympic Committee shall functionas the Dispute Resolution Committee of any National Sports Body which does not have suchCommittee; (e) an Athletes Committee consisting of elected members as determined by the bye-laws; (f) a President who shall be the head of the concerned National Sports Body and shall preside overthe meetings of its Executive Committee and the General Body; (g) a Secretary General who shall be the head of administration responsible for carrying out alldecisions of the Executive Committee and the General Body: Provided that where the International Charters and Statutes provide for a full-time head ofadministration, by whatever name called, there shall not be an elected post of the head ofadministration; (h) a Treasurer who shall be the custodian of funds or the accounts of the concerned NationalSports Body. (2) A person shall not be qualified to contest for election or seek nomination to, the ExecutiveCommittee, unless--- (a) such person is a citizen of India who has attained at least twenty-five years of age; (b) the nomination of such person is duly proposed and seconded by a voting member of theGeneral Body; (c) such person is not declared to be of unsound mind; (d) such person complies with the International Charters and Statutes and bye-laws relating to ageand term of the Executive Committee: Provided that such person shall not be more than seventy years of age on the last date ofnomination for election: Provided further that any person, aged between seventy and seventy-five years, may contestelections or seek nominations, if permitted by the International Charters and Statutes and the bye-lawsand in case such person is elected, he shall serve for a full term; (e) such person, if he is a government servant, has necessary approvals from the Government, asapplicable: Provided that a person shall not be qualified to contest for election or seek nomination to, the postsof the President or the Secretary General or the Treasurer, unless such person is a sportsperson ofoutstanding merit or, has previously served as a member for at least one full term in the ExecutiveCommittee of the National Sports Body or as the President, or the Secretary General or the Treasurerin its affiliate unit: Provided further that a person may continuously hold the position of either the President or theSecretary General or the Treasurer, as the case may be, for up to three consecutive terms separately, or incombination thereof and shall be eligible for election to such posts or to the Executive Committee after amandatory cooling off period of one term. (3) The term of the Executive Committee shall be as provided in the bye-laws subject to a maximumperiod of four years. (4) The mode of election to different bodies, committees and offices including their term, eligibilitycriteria and disqualification of members thereof, and other matters of governance shall be such as may beprescribed.

(1) The Central Government may, by notification,establish a Board to be known as the National Sports Board, consisting of a Chairperson and such numberof other Members as may be prescribed. (2) The Chairperson and the Members referred to in sub-section (1) shall be appointed by the CentralGovernment from amongst persons of ability, integrity and standing who possesses special knowledge orpractical experience in the field of public administration, sports governance, sports law and other relatedfields, on the recommendation of a search-cum-selection committee comprising of such number ofpersons, having wide experience in public administration, sports administration and recipients of nationalsports awards, as may be prescribed. (3) The salary and allowances and the term of office of the Chairperson and other Members of theBoard and other terms and conditions of their service, including removal from service, shall be such asmay be prescribed. (4) The Board shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and acommon seal, with power subject to the provisions of this Act, to acquire, hold and dispose of property,both movable and immovable, and to contract, and shall, by the said name, sue or be sued. (5) The head office of the Board shall be at Delhi and the Board shall establish its branch offices atsuch other places as may be prescribed.