Indian Sports Governance Reforms and Lodha Committee

Indian sports governance has moved from court-driven reform to a statutory framework covering all recognised sports bodies. The shift began with reforms in cricket administration through the Lodha Committee and later expanded into a broader law for federations, elections, athlete representation and dispute resolution.

The Lodha Committee and BCCI Reforms

The modern push for accountability in Indian sports administration began with judicial scrutiny of cricket governance. In response to allegations of maladministration, the Supreme Court stepped in to suggest structural reform.

• On January 23, 2015, the Supreme Court appointed the Lodha Committee, chaired by former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha, to recommend administrative reforms for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• The Supreme Court’s July 2016 judgment approved the core recommendations of the committee and made them binding on BCCI administration.
• Age limit: The judgment fixed a strict upper age limit of 70 years for sports administrators.
• Conflict of office: Active government ministers and civil servants were barred from holding office in the BCCI.
• Purpose: The reforms aimed to reduce conflict of interest, improve transparency and separate political office from sports administration.

From Executive Guidance to a Statutory Framework

Earlier, sports bodies were largely governed through executive instructions and codes. The new law replaced that approach with a formal legislative structure applicable to national sports federations and other recognised bodies.

• The National Sports Governance Act, 2025 received presidential assent on August 18, 2025.
• It replaced the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.
• Selective provisions of the Act came into force on January 1, 2026.
• Coverage: The framework applies to national sports bodies across disciplines, not only cricket.
• RTI status: Any sports body receiving government grants or financial assistance is treated as a public authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.

National Sports Board and National Sports Tribunal

The Act creates dedicated institutions for oversight and dispute resolution, replacing ad hoc administrative control with statutory mechanisms.

• National Sports Board (NSB): The central authority empowered to recognise, monitor and regulate national sports federations.
• National Sports Tribunal (NST): A specialised body for adjudicating disputes related to athlete selection, internal elections and governance.
• Operational rules: The Union Government notified the National Sports Governance (National Sports Board) Rules, 2026, and the National Sports Governance (National Sports Tribunal) Rules, 2026.
• Function: These rules operationalise the statutory institutions created under the Act.

Composition, Representation and Age Rules

The legislation and related rules lay down the internal composition of recognised sports bodies. The focus is on broader representation, gender balance and eligibility norms for office-bearers.

• General body composition: The National Sports Governance (National Sports Bodies) Rules, 2026, mandate at least four Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOMs) in the general bodies of national sports bodies.
• Women’s representation: Among those SOMs, 50% must be women.
• Executive committee size: The committee of any national sports body is capped at 15 members.
• Executive committee membership: It must include at least two outstanding sportspersons and four women.
• Age eligibility: Members must be between 25 and 70 years of age.
• International exception: The upper limit may extend up to 75 years only if allowed by the rules of the relevant international sports federation.

Why the Reforms Matter for Prelims

The reform package is important because it connects judicial intervention, administrative accountability and statutory regulation in one sequence. For prelims, the key is to remember the timeline, the institutions created and the governance norms introduced for sports bodies.

• Judicial origin: The reform process began with the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee in 2015.
• BCCI focus: The first major reforms targeted cricket administration and later influenced wider governance ideas.
• Law-based system: The National Sports Governance Act, 2025 provides a legal framework for national sports federations.
• Oversight body: The NSB is the recognition and regulatory authority.
• Dispute forum: The NST handles disputes on selection, elections and governance.
• Transparency: RTI coverage applies where government assistance is received.
• Representation rules: The Act and rules prescribe SOMs, women’s participation and age limits.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• Lodha Committee: Appointed by the Supreme Court on January 23, 2015, to reform BCCI administration.
• Supreme Court judgment: July 2016 judgment approved core Lodha recommendations.
• Age cap: Sports administrators were capped at 70 years under the BCCI reform framework.
• Minister/civil servant bar: Active government ministers and civil servants cannot hold office in the BCCI.
• National Sports Governance Act, 2025: Received presidential assent on August 18, 2025, and replaced the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.
• NSB and NST: The Act creates the National Sports Board for regulation and the National Sports Tribunal for dispute resolution.
• Core governance norms: Recognised bodies must follow RTI coverage where applicable, SOM representation, women’s representation and prescribed age limits.