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The Indian parliamentarians on Wednesday passed National Anti-Doping Bill unanimously on Wednesday by a voice vote. The Bill aims to provide a statutory framework for the functioning of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and the National Dope Testing Laboratory in sports.
The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on July 27, but Rajya Sabha passed it today (August 3).
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur said India will now join the league of nations like the US, China, France or Australia, Japan, S Korea to have a law and dope test laboratory.
Earlier, the minister also said the Bill will promote sports and protect the interest of sportspersons.
He said it will also help enhance dope testing facilities in the country.
He then said the Bill will 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".
All you need to know about National Anti-Doping Bill:
1. As the name of the bill suggests, the legislation prohibits athletes, athlete support personnel, and other persons from engaging in doping in sports.
2. In case of any violations of anti-doping rules, the athlete will be disqualified. Besides forfeiture of medals, points, and prizes, ineligibility to participate in a competition or event for a prescribed period, and financial sanctions are the actions the violater will have to face.
3. The bill provides for planning, implementing, and monitoring anti-doping activities as well as investigating anti-doping rule violations.
4. It also seeks to give effect to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation International Convention against doping in sports and compliance with such other obligations and commitments.
Participating in the discussion, Biju Janata Dal's Amar Patnaik said many Indian athletes take Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines without knowing they might include banned substances. "Our realities are different and that has to be factored into this Bill," Patnaik said.
The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in December last year and had undergone the scrutiny of a parliamentary committee.