BCCI To Be Out Of RTI Act, Govt Introduces Amendment To National Sports Bill

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will  be out of the provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, after the government introduced amendments to the National Sports Governance Bill. The bill has been tabled in Parliament. The sports ministry, it is learnt, gave provision of the RTI Act, according to which only bodies that are “substantially financed” by the government will be defined as a “public authority”.

As per the amendments brought to the bill that was tabled in the Parliament on July 23 during the ongoing Monsoon session, the sports federations which function on “government grants and assistance” will fall under the RTI Act. The new changes mean the BCCI, which does not depend on the government grant will be out of the RTI provisions.

The BCCI Likely To Be Kept Out Of RTI Act

A para, now omitted in the National Sports Bill that would have brought all sports federations including the BCCI under RTI Act read, “A recognised sports organisation shall be considered as a public authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 with respect to the exercise of its functions, duties and powers under this Act.”

However, the critical para, it is learnt, has been knocked out after the amendment and that would eventually mean the BCCI won’t be under the RTI Act in its totality.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has functioned independently, but the National Sports Governance Bill that was introduced in Lok Sabha brought the Indian cricket board under the bounds of the proposed National Sports Board (NSB). The bill intends to bring more prominence to the National Sports Federations (NSFs) and improve the way in which they operate by bringing in more transparency. As per latest developments, the BCCI will continue to function as an autonomous body. Interestingly, their disputes will be handled by the National Sports Tribunal just like any other NSFs.

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Calls To Boycott IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Clash Grows Stronger By The Day

The BCCI has remained tight-lipped on the calls to call off the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup. After the heinous and inhuman terror attacks that were carried out in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, Indian citizens and cricket fans have constantly been asking the BCCI to cancel the India vs Pakistan clash that is scheduled to take place in the upcoming 2025 edition of the Asia Cup.

With Operation Sindoor still on, the Indian Armed Forces are toiling hard day in and day out to keep the borders of the country safe, but the BCCI for some reason want to go ahead with the IND vs PAK game that is scheduled to be played on September 14, 2025, in the UAE. With BCCI exempting the ambit of the RTI Act, it now has a free hand to execute its will and it now remains to be seen if they prioritize cricketing ties with Pakistan by hurting the sentiments of billions of Indians who are left hurt and angered by the Pahalgam terror attacks.