BCCI will not come under the purview of RTI, Sports Ministry amended the National Sports Administration Bill

In a significant relief for BCCI, the Sports Ministry has amended the provision related to RTI in the National Sports Administration Bill. Now only those organizations that are government-grantee and reliant organizations will fall under its ambit.

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya brought this bill in the Lok Sabha on July 23, provision 15 (2) of which says that a recognized sports organization shall be deemed as a public authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, in respect of the exercise of their functions, duties, and powers under this Act.

RTI has remained a contentious matter for the BCCI, which has always been against being brought under its fold since the board is not reliant on governmental assistance as compared to other National Sports Federations (NSFs). The bill's amendment has ended these fears.

An informed source said that the amended provision defines a public authority as a body that is dependent on government funds or aid. With this amendment, there is a clear definition of a public authority. The source said that if this had not been done, it would have been a gray area, due to which the bill could have been stuck or challenged in court.

So anything related to public money will come under the purview of RTI. He further said that even if the national federation is not taking government aid, if it has received any kind of government assistance in organizing or conducting its tournaments, then it can be questioned. Government assistance is not just in terms of money but also in terms of infrastructure.

The BCCI had earlier said that it would study the bill before commenting on it. Once the bill becomes law, the BCCI will have to register itself as an NSF, as cricket is set to make its T20 debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Another important aspect of this is the National Sports Tribunal, which will have powers similar to a civil court and will adjudicate disputes ranging from selection to election involving federations and athletes.

Once set up, the decisions of the tribunal can only be challenged in the Supreme Court. The bill is giving some relaxation on the issue of the age limit for administrators, allowing people between the age of 70 and 75 years to contest elections, provided the rules and regulations of the respective international bodies allow it. The age limit for contesting elections was fixed at 70 years in the National Sports Code.