BCCI to come under RTI with the National Sports Governance Bill

BCCI is not a government organisation

Registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, BCCI recognises itself as a private body. It is a sports governing agency and does not depend on funding from the Indian Government for its functioning.

However, it needs to be noted that BCCI does serve some public functions. For instance, the BCCI selects the Team to represent the country at various events across the globe. The maintenance and handling of the players also come under the purview of the BCCI. Yet, the government does not recognise BCCI as a government institution.

BCCI has intentionally not come under the supervision of the Indian Government

While BCCI is not currently under the Indian Government, the traits and the responsibilities of this body might merit its inclusion. However, BCCI has resisted the procedure.

BCCI claims that it does not depend on the Indian Government for its funding or functioning. Hence, it need not come under its management. On the other hand, not being governed by the Indian Government allows BCCI to make its decisions independently, which could help with the way they want the game to be run in the country.

The Indian Premier League is the most valuable product of the BCCI

BCCI runs the Indian Premier League, which is arguably the most valuable cricket product at the global level. Therefore, IPL is also not under the jurisdiction of the Indian Government.

It also needs to be noted that BCCI does not pay tax for the revenue it generates from the IPL. This is because IPL is seen as an act of charity under Indian Law. It promotes cricket in India and offers a good financial opportunity for many stakeholders, especially the budding cricketers across the nation.

Cricket's popularity makes the BCCI autonomous

For any sports governance body, a bit of support from the Indian Government is necessary. However, it is distinct in the case of BCCI. This is mainly because of the game's popularity.

Cricket is a part of everyone's daily lives. It is ingrained into the conversations and happens to be one of the biggest forms of entertainment for the citizens. With so many eyes on the game and the players, there is capital that flows. Therefore, BCCI does not have to depend on any other bodies. BCCI itself aids a few sports governance bodies of other nations in various ways.

BCCI will have to face the National Sports Governance Bill 

The National Sports Governance Bill makes it mandatory for bodies not owned or funded by the Indian Government to also be considered as public authorities. This way, they have to comply with various other rules that come their way.

BCCI is the biggest authority in this regard. The board's independence will be contested, and this way, how the game is regulated in the nation might also change in the forthcoming months.

Right to Information Act, 2005

One of the important features is that BCCI and the other federations will now have to come under the RTI Act. This will be a major development in the world of sports, especially cricket, in India.

BCCI will be considered as a public authority, and to bring transparency and accountability, the RTI Act will be in place. Citizens will have the fundamental right to raise questions, and BCCI will have to respond to the same.

Cricket's entry to the Olympics is key to this story

In the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, Cricket will be one of the key sports to look at. For the game, it is a big step forward to gain popularity across the globe. All the while, the stakeholders had endeavoured to involve cricket in the event, but it had not been achievable. 

The Government of India's new bill could become relevant in this regard. With cricket climbing up the ultimate global stage and with BCCI sending the most popular team, somewhere, there had been an alignment. It is likely to happen with this new bill.

Effect on BCCI

All the while, BCCI had been serving as a liberated body. However, it will now be transformed with the opening of the bill, initiating a lot of changes in the ecosystem. We will discuss more on it in the further sections.

However, it must be stated that the bill will have to turn into a law first. There will be debates in the parliament before all of this happens. BCCI lobbyists might also come into the picture here.

BCCI's financial transparency will be relevant

This is probably the first aspect that will be examined by most. Currently, BCCI is not funded by the Government of India, yet the body runs the most popular sport in the nation.

In this regard, BCCI's attributes on its finances, particularly the sources of funding, the distribution of funds, and the other expenditures, will be tracked by relevant parties.

Conflict of Interest

One key aspect BCCI will have to be wary of is the conflict of interest related to various aspects within the organisation. With the Government having some control over the functioning, it is highly unlikely that there would be any case of conflict of interest.

Especially in the matter of holding some important roles within the body, the appointments have to be made with much attention. There could be some strict rules in place to make this happen.

No bias & equivalent development of the game

One of the advantages of this move is that the development of the game can be distributed across the country. That said, BCCI is already doing an admirable job of it.

Allocation of funds is likely to be tracked, and this way, it can be guaranteed that the infrastructure for the sport is being generated everywhere. It will only help India become a stronger cricketing nation.

Impact of the public on BCCI

Cricket, in general, is always under the scrutiny of the public. The nature of the sport is such that it is easily understood by the people. Apart from the regular fans, there are better readers of the game who analyse and express their opinions on public forums. All of this adds pressure on the players and the stakeholders to deliver the best for the nation.

For the BCCI, while it often obtains criticism, with the RTI, there is likely to be more penetration from the public. Often, various decisions of the board are challenged, and things could get weighty if BCCI does not act in the planned manner.

The National Sports Tribunal

The National Sports Tribunal will be the way forward for BCCI and the state associations in the case of any disputes. Earlier, all these parties used to approach the regular courts to resolve the conflicts.

However, the Tribunal will now be the one-stop option for BCCI to solve any matter of dispute. The decision of the Tribunal will be final, and if there is still an appeal to be made, the Supreme Court could be involved.

The impact on the cricketers due to the new bill

BCCI becomes a public body, and the cricketers would be representing the BCCI. By this logic, the cricketers would more or less act as public servants. That said, it is improbable that there is a big impact that will bear on the cricketers.

Currently, BCCI has a contract with a selected group of players. There are also the state cricketers who are associated with their respective associations. Once a player climbs the ladder and makes his or her debut, there is a chance that he or she gets the contract. There would be a few rules that they must abide by, and this may not vary with the introduction of the governance bill.

Participation of Team India in various events

One big factor that could influence the BCCI is that the new bill will allow the government to have control over the plans to host or attend international events. This could be a clincher for all the stakeholders in the game.

BCCI currently decides its tours, and the decisions to participate in various events are taken independently. Now, the government will have the right to impose restrictions.

Focus on Pakistan?

The relations between India and Pakistan are not great at the moment. Earlier this year, the neighbouring nations were involved in a serious conflict. Ever since then, there have been restrictions on both sides on interactions between citizens hailing from both nations. Before this, as well, India and Pakistan were not on great terms, and this dictated the cricketing relations between the two nations.

Despite this, BCCI never cancelled any interaction with Pakistan at an international event. In fact, despite the escalations earlier in the year, as per reports, India and Pakistan will take on each other in the Asia Cup later this year. While this is still unconfirmed, many are already opposing the idea. The Government of India's standpoint will be key in this matter. In the future, if the National Sports Governance Bill goes through, the government can exercise limitations in this subject and prioritise national interest.

It will be a tough phase for the BCCI to deal with

BCCI has been successful in remaining off the radar of the government. However, it appears that the time is now up for the powerful board. While there would be some opposition, in the end, the BCCI could be forced to come under this new rule.

Importantly, if the BCCI does not accept the bill, there is a chance that the institution may not allow the board to use the word "India" or any logos associated with the Indian nation. This could be a major factor for BCCI to eventually find a compromise.

The main agenda of the bill

While the focus will remain on the BCCI, it is key to note the idea behind the Government of India to introduce the bill. Often, we have seen some of the sports being handled in such a way as to honour some of the vested interests. The athlete or the sportsperson seemed to be the last beneficiary of certain decisions.

However, with this bill, this would change largely. For instance, the bill might mandate former athletes for various top posts in federations, thereby bringing the focus more on the sport. With the RTI Act coming into the picture, there is further reiteration on the need to maintain transparency in the governance of the sport.