Sports, anti-doping bills cleared in Rajya Sabha amid Cong ‘bulldozing’ charge

A day after clearing the Lok Sabha, two major sports legislations, the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, were passed by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (August 12). The INDIA bloc MPs did not intervene, as members of the Opposition alliance walked out in protest against the Chair and the Centre’s refusal to allow a discussion on the SIR in Bihar.

Congress slams move

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandviya hailed the sports governance bill as the “single biggest reform in Indian sports since Independence”, but the Congress accused the government of “bulldozing” it through Parliament and warned it would lead to “extreme centralisation” of sports administration. Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh alleged on X that the legislation gives “most favoured treatment” to the BCCI.

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“The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, was bulldozed through the Lok Sabha yesterday and will perhaps be subject to the same treatment in the Rajya Sabha today. The Bill will result in the extreme centralisation of sports administration. And, of course, the BCCI will get most favoured treatment, not subject to any laws of the land like the RTI,” he tweeted.

The long-awaited National Sports Governance Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday, along with the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill. Amid the din over Bihar SIR and “vote theft”, the bills were passed by a voice vote.

Extension for ONOE JPC

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday accepted a motion to extend the tenure for the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the ‘One Nation, One Election’. The extension will allow the committee to submit its findings by the first day of the last week of the Winter Session in 2025.

The motion was moved by PP Chaudhary, chairman of the One Nation, One Election Panel. He requested the House to allow the JPC more time to present the report on the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The aim of the Bill is to enable the general elections for the union territory legislative assemblies to coincide with the general elections of the Lok Sabha, as an integral part of the government’s policy to conduct simultaneous elections throughout the nation.

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The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 amends the Constitution to conduct elections for Lok Sabha and all state assemblies together (simultaneous elections), as well as another bill for holding elections to the union territory assemblies as part of the simultaneous elections.

Income Tax Bill in LS

Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday moved the Income Tax Bill, 2025, for consideration in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday without any debate, triggering criticism from the Opposition over the government pushing through a crucial legislation with nearly 500 clauses without proper deliberations.