Lok Sabha passes anti-doping bill, gives more teeth to NADA

The Lok Sabha passed the National Anti-Doping Bill on Wednesday to provide more teeth to India’s fight against doping in sports. The bill provides the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) wide ranging search, seizure and investigative powers.

Doping has repeatedly blighted India’s image as the nation bids to improve its global sporting profile. A 2019 report of the World Anti-Doping Agency placed India (152) third among the nations with most anti-doping rule violations. Only Russia (167) and Italy (157) were worse off. For a long time it was felt a strong legal framework was needed to combat doping in India. There has been spate of Indian doping violations in the run-up to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games too.

The Bill was tabled in Lok Sabha in December and referred to a parliamentary standing committee, which made some suggestions. Some of the amendments have been incorporated while other suggestions will be included when rules and regulations are framed.

The Bill provides for reconstituting NADA—it was established as a society—as a statutory body headed by a director general appointed by the central government. A National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports will be established to make recommendations to the government on anti-doping regulations and compliance with international commitments on anti-doping.

Speaking on the Bill in the Lok Sabha, union sports minister Anurag Thakur said the government has taken several steps to curb doping. He said in the last one year after the suspension of the New Delhi-based National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) was revoked, an awareness campaign was carried out and around 100 anti-doping education awareness workshops was conducted. NDTL’s budget has been increased by five times, from ₹4.5 crore to ₹21.5 crore.

“The government is collaborating with IIT, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Education and Research, CSIR, National Forensic Science University and all other scientific agencies in the country so that we become world leaders in the coming years for Indian athletes,” he said.

The bill provides “legal sanctity to NADA and NDTL”. Functions of NADA will include planning, implementing and monitoring anti-doping activities and investigating violations.

As per the Bill, “any anti-doping rule violation may result in disqualification of results including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes, ineligibility to participate in a competition or event for a prescribed period, and financial sanctions.”

NADA currently cannot conduct raids if it suspects or has evidence of any doping activity going on in any premises, even at national camps. Once the Bill becomes an Act, NADA will have powers to search and seize. There will be some framework worked into the Bill to ensure this right is exercised judiciously.

For the adjudication process, the appeals panel is already in place. The Bill will now provide for the process to be carried out independently under the Board and will bid to ensure time-bound resolution of cases.

Five members, including two Para athletes, were dropped from the squad for the Commonwealth Games after testing positive for prohibited substances.

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