Polity & GovernanceImportant2025-07-21

National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 Introduced

In News

What Happened

On July 21, 2025, the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to amend the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 to strengthen the enforcement powers of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). It also restructures the regulatory oversight mechanism to better align with international anti-doping frameworks.

Why It Matters

This legislation is crucial for India to maintain strict compliance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code and avoid international sporting sanctions. By empowering NADA with better enforcement tools, India aims to foster a clean, dope-free sporting culture and protect the integrity of its athletes on the global stage.

Background

History & Context

The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) was initially established as a registered society in 2005 to mandate clean sports in India. To give it statutory backing and align with the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport, the National Anti-Doping Act was passed in 2022. The 2025 amendment was introduced to address operational bottlenecks experienced by NADA and to update the regulatory framework in response to WADA's evolving global compliance requirements.

What Changed

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BEFORE: NADA's enforcement powers lacked specific provisions for expansive, unannounced inspections in certain private premises. NOW: The amendment enhances NADA's search and seizure capabilities to allow more rigorous and surprise inspections to catch doping violations.
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BEFORE: The oversight and disciplinary panels had administrative links to the sports ministry that WADA flagged as potential conflicts of interest. NOW: The bill modifies the oversight structure to ensure complete functional and financial independence of the Disciplinary and Appeal Panels.
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BEFORE: Penalties and sanctions were largely focused on athletes and their immediate coaching staff. NOW: The amendment expands the scope of accountability, allowing NADA to penalize a broader network of medical, administrative, and logistical personnel complicit in doping.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This relates to the concepts of 'Statutory Bodies' and the impact of 'International Treaties' discussed in Class 11 Political Science (Indian Constitution at Work). The transition of NADA from an executive society to a statutory body, and the subsequent amendments to align with WADA, perfectly illustrate how domestic legislation is directly influenced by international obligations and global governance structures.

Practice Questions

Q1

With Reference To

With reference to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) in India, consider the following statements: 1. NADA was granted statutory status by the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022. 2. It is responsible for implementing anti-doping rules in India to conform with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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