On Wednesday, Rajya Sabha passed a bill to provide anti-doping agencies with an independent anti-doping adjudication mechanism and legal dignity. The National Anti-Doping Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha last week, aims to provide the country with a statutory framework to ban doping in sports through legislation.

Introducing the bill for discussion and passage in the House of Lords, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said the bill aims to complete the capacity building of anti-doping agencies to be able to host major sporting events and protect the rights of all athletes, secure time and justice for athletes and increased inter-agency cooperation on anti-doping in sport. Thakur said the proposed legislation strengthens India’s commitment to clean sports international obligations and seeks to provide an independent anti-doping adjudication mechanism.

It aims to provide legal safeguards for anti-doping agencies (NADA and NDTL – National Doping Testing Laboratories), establish more doping testing laboratories, and create employment and academic research opportunities. The minister said the proposed legislation would benefit athletes and hoped that the bill would be actively discussed in the House of Representatives.

Deepender Singh Hooda from Congress backed the bill and called it a “positive step” for Indian athletes. He suggested setting up an arbitration body in India so our players wouldn’t have to travel to Switzerland to appeal. Santanu Sen from TMC said the penalties for athletes should be commensurate with the crime and supported Hooda’s proposal to set up an international arbitration institution in Asia.