Lok Sabha Passes Anti-Doping Bill 2021
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday took up a bill to provide a statutory framework for the functioning of the National Anti-Doping Agency and the National Dope Testing Laboratory for consideration and passage.
The National Anti-Doping Bill, moved by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, seeks to strengthen measures to check drug abuse by sportspersons.
The minister said the bill will give effect to a UN convention on anti-doping.
While moving the Bill for consideration and passage, Thakur recalled the achievements of Indian sportspersons in the recent past and expressed hope that Indians will win more medals in international tournaments in future.
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."
It seeks to 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."
It also provides for the establishment of the NDTL and other dope testing laboratories.
Participating in the discussion, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said the bill will prevent unnecessary litigation between sportspersons and NADA, which currently does not have legislative backing.
He also underlined the need for educating sportspersons about the perils of doping and using banned performance-enhancing drugs.
Rahul Ramesh Shewale of the Shiv Sena said efforts should be made to give sportspersons dope-free supplements.T
The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in December last year and had undergone the scrutiny of a parliamentary committee.
