National Anti-Doping Bill:
The parliament passed the National Anti-Doping Bill unanimously on Wednesday by a voice vote.
- The Bill aims to provide a statutory framework for the functioning of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and the National Dope Testing Laboratory in sports.
- The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports said India will now join the league of nations like the US, China, France or Australia, Japan, S Korea to have a law and dope test laboratory.
Key provisions:
- Prohibits athletes from engaging in doping: The legislation prohibits athletes, athlete support personnel, and other persons from engaging in doping in sports.
- Powers to NADA: The bill will give NADA powers of, “investigation, levying sanctions for anti-doping rule violations, the disciplinary procedures to be adopted and the powers of inspection, sample collection and sharing and free flow of information”.
- Disqualification for violating rules: In case of violation of doping rules, the athlete will be disqualified.
- Besides forfeiture of medals, points, and prizes, ineligibility to participate in a competition or event for a prescribed period, and financial sanctions are the actions the violator will have to face.
- Planning, monitoring and implementing anti-doping rules: The bill provides for planning, implementing, and monitoring anti-doping activities as well as investigating anti-doping rule violations.
- In consonance with UNESCO Convention on doping: It also seeks to give effect to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization International Convention against doping in sports and compliance with such other obligations and commitments.
National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA):
- It was set up as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 on 24th November, 2005 with a mandate for Dope free sports in India.
- The primary objectives are to implement anti-doping rules as per WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) code, regulate dope control programmes, to promote education and research and create awareness about doping and its ill effects.
- The NADA has the necessary authority and responsibility for: Planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring and advocating improvements in Doping Control. Cooperating with other relevant national organizations, agencies and other Anti-Doping Organizations etc.
