I-T, Sports Bills among 6 cleared in Parl
The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed three major pieces of legislation — the Income Tax (No.2) Bill, 2025, the National Sports Governance Bill, and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, marking a significant day for policy reforms in sports and taxation.
The Upper House cleared the Income Tax (No. 2) Bill, 2025, and the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, both piloted by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. These replace the Income Tax Act, 1961, which the government said had become outdated. The Rajya Sabha had returned the legislation with a voice vote to the lower house.
The new income tax law modernises and simplifies the language of the Act without changing rates. Sitharaman said 75,000 person-hours had gone into drafting the Bill, which also incorporates recommendations from a Parliamentary Select Committee led by Baijayant Panda. “Some parts of the 1961 Act were no longer in tune with the times. This Bill ensures clarity and simplicity,” she said.
She said the 1961 Act had total of 819 sections, they have come down to 536. “Number of chapters was 47 and we have reduced to 23. For first time in this Act, we have introduced 39 new tables & 40 new formulae to replace textual narration, making it easier for people to understand,” the FM added.
The Sports Governance Bill, introduced by Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, is India’s first comprehensive law to regulate the functioning of sports bodies. It aims to bring transparency and athlete welfare into the heart of administration, in line with the Olympic and Paralympic charters and global best practices.
The Bill responds to repeated Supreme Court and Delhi HC calls for a unified framework. The new law establishes an independent National Sports Board to oversee the Indian Olympic Association, National Sports Federations, and other recognised sports organisations. It also creates a National Sports Tribunal, headed by a retired or sitting Chief Justice, for speedy resolution of disputes, and a National Sports Election Panel to ensure fair and transparent polls in sports bodies.
Federations will have caps on executive committee size, tenure, and age of office-bearers, with mandatory representation for women and athletes. They will be subject to the Right to Information Act, must set up ethics committees, and adopt a ‘Safe Sports Policy’ for the protection of women, minors, and vulnerable players. Only recognised bodies will be allowed to use the name “India”.
The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, modifies the 2022 law by empowering the Centre to appoint members of the appeal panel that hears challenges to disciplinary panel rulings in doping cases. Mandaviya said the twin reforms would “clean up sports administration” and strengthen athlete rights.
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