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The government introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha on Friday to set up a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sport.
Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur tabled the Bill. The statement of objects and reasons of the Bill said, “It is intended to provide a statutory framework for the operation of the National Anti-Doping Agency, the National Dope Testing Laboratory and other dope testing laboratories and for creation of a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports to strengthen anti-doping activities in sport.”
This Bill is a follow-up action to the UN Convention. India was one of the Members of Foundation Board of the World Anti-Doping Agency from 1999 to 2002. It has signed the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation International Convention against Doping in Sport in 2005 and ratified it in November 2007.
Pursuant to the ratification of the said Convention, the Indian Government has established the National Dope Testing Laboratory in 2008 and the National Anti-Doping Agency in 2009. The said Convention aims to promote the prevention of, and the fight against, doping in sport for its elimination.
What the Bill says
“To achieve the objectives of the Convention, each State Party undertakes to adopt appropriate measures that may include legislation, regulation, policies or administrative practices and to commit themselves to the principles of the World Anti-Doping Code as the basis for the measures provided in the said Convention,” the Bill said.
It reiterates that no athlete, athlete support personnel or other persons will indulge in doping in sport. In case of violation, the manner for disqualification of results with all consequences including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes will be specified by the Agency.
It will also prescribe regulations on ineligibility to participate in any competition or event or other activity or funding beside provisional suspension from participating in any competition or activity prior to the decision in appeal. It will also prescribe modalities for imposition of financial sanction including proportionate recovery of costs.
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