Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday that the National Sports Governance Bill, which would be tabled in Parliament during the monsoon session next week, has been drafted with inputs from not just the stakeholders, but also international organisations like the IOC and FIFA. The monsoon session of Parliament will start on July 21.

Addressing the day-long “Khelo Bharat Conclave”, which features representatives from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), National Sports Federations (NSFs), the corporate world and athletes, the minister reiterated the government’s commitment to pass the Bill, for which he has also held discussions with former sports minister and Congress leader Ajay Maken.

Mandaviya said that while he was engaged in a series of consultations with NSFs, athletes and coaches, the government had also got 600 inputs from the public when the draft was put online for suggestions. “I also had a three-hour meeting with sports lawyers to understand their perspective. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was consulted as well, apart from other international sports federations. FIFA had a query and I sent an officer to its headquarters to discuss things with them. The National Sports Bill is now ready and will be in Parliament during the monsoon session,” he said.

The Bill seeks to make the country’s sports administrators more accountable with the provision of a regulatory board, which would have the power to grant recognition and decide on funding to NSFs based on their adherence to provisions pertaining to good governance. The board will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the highest governance, financial and ethical standards as well.

The Bill also proposes the setting up of Ethics Commissions and Dispute Resolution Commissions to ensure transparency in governance. The regulatory board has been opposed by the IOA, which feels it would undermine its standing as the nodal body for all NSFs.

“I spoke to senior Congress leader Ajay Maken too. I appreciate his contributions,” said Mandaviya, referring to Maken’s aggressive push for cleaner sports governance during his tenure which lasted a little over one year.

Governance reforms, which focuses on timely elections, have been a thorny issue with prominent NSFs like the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) accused of dragging their feet on polls that have been long overdue. Without taking names, the minister urged the administrators to rise above personal interests.

“We, not I, that should be the way forward. We have to introspect whether it’s enough to just grab the chair. We have to let go of ego. Give the seat to someone better if you see one,” said Mandaviya, maintaining that reforms are a step by step process.