National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025

Parliament has passed the the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025 with the approval of the Rajya Sabha.

The Original Act (2022)

The National Anti-Doping Act 2022, which gives effect to the UNESCO convention against doping, was a landmark law that:

• Prohibits doping in sports.
• Provides a framework for testing, enforcement, and the adjudication of rule violations.
• Establishes the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to implement anti-doping rules and the National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports to oversee NADA and advise the government on policy.

Key Amendments in the 2025 Bill

The 2025 amendment was introduced to address concerns raised by WADA about government interference in the functioning of NADA. The key changes are:

• Enhanced Operational Independence for NADA: The bill removes the oversight powers of the National Board over the Disciplinary and Appeal Panels. It clarifies that NADA’s Director General and staff will have operational independence from government departments, sports federations, and Olympic committees, thereby ensuring NADA’s autonomy.
• Central Government’s Role in Appeals: The power to constitute the Appeal Panel and prescribe its procedures has been transferred from the National Board to the central government.
• Alignment with WADA Code: The bill formally adopts the definitions and schedules of the World Anti-Doping Code, giving them legal force in India.
• Mandatory Accreditation: It makes WADA accreditation mandatory for all dope testing laboratories in India.
• New Rule Violations: The bill specifies a comprehensive list of anti-doping rule violations, including:
  • The presence of prohibited substances or their metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample.
  • Possession, trafficking, or administration of prohibited substances.
  • Evading or refusing to submit to sample collection.
  • “Whereabouts failures,” which involve a failure to provide location information for testing.
• Limited Appeal to CAS: The bill restricts the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to specific international bodies like WADA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and international sports federations. However, in cases involving international-level athletes, an affected party can appeal directly to CAS.