Bill to prevent sexual harassment of sportswomen on anvil
By IANSTuesday, February 22, 2011
NEW DELHI - The government wants to bring in a legislation on national sports policy that, besides other things, would prevent sexual harassment of sportswomen and make sports bodies and administration transparent in the country.
The proposed legislation would have measures to prevent sexual harassment of women by following the guidelines enunciated by the Supreme Court, Sports Minister Ajay Maken told the Lok Sabha Tuesday.
He said the government wants to develop sports at the national level and is intending to have a debate on the need to have the legislation.
Maken, minister of state with independent charge of sports, said the government wanted to initiate a debate in parliament on the National Sports Bill.
I wish to make a statement in this august house on the intent of the government to initiate a national debate on the need to have legislation for the development of sports at the national level and to deal with all matters connected therewith, the minister said.
He said the government proposed to place in public domain an exposure draft paper on the proposed national sports legislation.
The proposed bill would require sports federations to have a “fair and transparent election process, he said.
The bill would also make it mandatory for the federation to have limited age and tenure in respect of office bearers and would ensure participation of athletes in the decision-making process.
It will have foolproof guidelines for detection and prevention of age fraud in sports.
He said the proposed draft bill was in line with “the core principles enunciated in the basic universal principles of good governance proposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and endorsed by the XIII Olympic Congress.
He said anti-doping regulations compliant with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code would be given a legislative backing. As a signatory to the UNESCO convention, India has shown highest commitment to movement against doping. It is a member of the WADA and has constituted its own National anti Doping Agency (NADA) on the lines of WADA, he said.
