Shri. Ajay Maken gave an overview of the proposed legislation, and informed the Committee that a preliminary exposure draft has been placed in the public domain since 22.02.2011, on the website of the Ministry (http://yas.nic.in), giving 30 days time for comments and suggestions. The draft has also been sent to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and all National Sports Federations (NSFs) seeking their response within the above-mentioned time-limit. This was followed by a detailed presentation on the salient features of the draft, viz., establishment of a national sports development council headed by an eminent sportsperson; role delineation between the NSFs, Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Government; model election code for IOA and NSFs; appointment of a national sports ombudsman and an appellate authority for speedy resolution of sports-related disputes; and reservation of 25 percent membership and voting rights in IOA and NSFs for sportspersons. The Committee members were unanimous in their view that a sports legislation at the national level was essential to promote professional management of sports in India; protect of sportspersons’ rights; strengthen the talent identification and development system in the country; and ensure fair and transparent selection of national teams.

The committee members appreciated the efforts made by the Ministry in bringing out a comprehensive draft on the proposed legislation and recommended expeditious action for its early introduction and passage in Parliament. The Members of Parliament Ms. Meenakshi Natrajan, Shri Kirti Azad, Dr. Rajan Sushant, Smt. Satabadi Roy, Shri. K.C. Singh Baba, Shri. Nripendra Nath Roy, Ms. Mausam Noor and Shri. Kaptan Singh Solanki were present at the meeting.