• Parliament passed the National Anti-Doping Bill, 2022 for providing a statutory framework for the functioning of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and scaling up the network of dope testing laboratories in the country.

• The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 17, 2021 and passed on July 27, 2022 with some amendments proposed on the basis of the suggestions received from the Parliamentary Standing Committee and some other key stakeholders. It was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 28, 2022. 

• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur said that with the passage of this Bill, India will join the club of select countries like the US, China, Japan, and France, which have their own laws related to checking doping in sports.

• Currently, India can carry out only about 6,000 tests a year, and the proposed legislation would help increase the testing capacity significantly. For holding any major international championship, the number of tests required could be as high as 10,000 a month. Samples from 16 countries are tested in laboratories in India.

Purpose of the Bill

• The proposed legislation is expected to benefit sportspersons and provide an independent mechanism for anti-doping adjudication and legal sanctity to anti-doping agencies.

• The Bill is intended to provide a statutory framework for the operation of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) and other dope testing laboratories, and for the creation of a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports to strengthen anti-doping activities in sport.

• The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) was set up in India as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1890 on November 24, 2005 with a mandate for dope-free sports in India. The objectives are to implement anti-doping rules as per WADA code, regulate dope control programme, to promote education and research and creating awareness about doping and its ill-effects.

• According to the provisions of the Bill, the NADA shall be responsible for adopting and implementing anti-doping rules, regulations and policies which conform to international obligations and commitments for promoting, coordinating, and monitoring the doping control programme in sports to ensure dope-free sport.

• It shall have the primary responsibility to implement the provisions of this Act and may direct the collection of samples, manage test results and conduct results management at the national level.

• The Bill also provides for the establishment of the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL). It shall be deemed to be the principal dope testing laboratory established under this Act.

Other purposes of the Bill are:

• Building institutional capabilities in anti-doping and enabling hosting of major sports events.

• Protecting rights of all sportspersons.

• Ensuring time-bound justice to athletes.

• Enhancing cooperation among agencies in fighting doping in sports.

• Reinforcing India’s commitment to international obligations for clean sports.

• Independent mechanism for anti-doping adjudication.

• Establishing more dope testing labs.

• Creating opportunities for academic research, science and manufacturing relating to anti-doping.

• Establishing standards for the manufacturing of nutritional supplements for sports in India.

What is WADA?

• The World Anti-Doping Agency was established in 1999 as an international independent agency composed and funded equally by the sport movement and governments of the world. Its key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) - the document harmonising anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries.

• The organisation’s headquarters is in Montreal, Canada.

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