Question 1

The Union government has no constitutional power to make laws on sports because 'Sports' falls strictly under Entry 33 of the State List.

Accepted Answer

The Union derives its legislative competence for this Act from its exclusive powers over international relations, treaties, and participation in international bodies (List I, Entries 10 and 13), as well as residuary powers, because it regulates federations that represent India globally.

Question 2

All local private sports clubs, gyms, and academies are now heavily regulated by the National Sports Board.

Accepted Answer

The Act's regulatory framework specifically targets 'recognised sports organisations' such as the National Olympic Committee, Paralympic Committee, and National Sports Federations that seek national recognition, use national insignia, or receive government funding.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the National Sports Governance Act, 2025:
1. The Union Parliament enacted the legislation deriving its legislative competence solely from Entry 33 of the State List via a special Rajya Sabha resolution.
2. The Act establishes the National Sports Tribunal and explicitly bars civil courts from entertaining disputes related to sports governance.
3. Under the Act, athletes must comprise at least 10 percent of the voting members of the General Bodies of recognized National Sports Federations.

Accepted Answer

(b) Only two — Statement 1 is incorrect: The Union derives its competence primarily from Union List entries related to international representation (Entries 10 and 13) and residuary powers, not via a Rajya Sabha resolution under Article 249 for Entry 33. Statement 2 is correct: Section 23 bars civil court jurisdiction. Statement 3 is correct: The Act mandates a minimum 10 percent athlete representation in General Bodies.

Question 4

Match the institutional mechanisms established under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 (List I) with their primary functions (List II):

List I
A. National Sports Board
B. National Sports Election Panel
C. National Sports Tribunal
D. Athletes Commission

List II
1. Adjudicates sports disputes and replaces civil court jurisdiction
2. Maintains a roster of independent electoral officers
3. Ensures sportspersons have formal representation in governance
4. Grants, suspends, or cancels the recognition of federations

Accepted Answer

(a) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3 — The National Sports Board acts as the apex regulator granting recognition (A-4). The National Sports Election Panel provides independent officers to oversee federation polls (B-2). The National Sports Tribunal handles dispute adjudication, barring civil courts (C-1). The Athletes Commission facilitates mandatory sportsperson representation in decision-making (D-3).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The National Sports Governance Act, 2025 mandates the direct appointment of National Sports Federation (NSF) Presidents by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to ensure clean governance.
Reason (R): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter strictly prohibits political interference and mandates functional autonomy for national sports governing bodies.

Accepted Answer

(d) A is false but R is true — Assertion (A) is false because the Act does NOT allow the government to directly appoint federation presidents; doing so would violate international norms. Elections are still conducted internally but overseen by an independent panel. Reason (R) is true and is precisely the reason why the government cannot directly appoint federation leaders, as it would risk India's suspension by the IOC.

Passage of National Sports Governance Act, 2025

14th India-Maldives Military Exercise EKUVERIN