Govt sets up Search-cum-Selection Committee for National Sports Board under T.V. Somanathan
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The Government of India constituted a Search-cum-Selection Committee, chaired by Cabinet Secretary Dr. T.V. Somanathan, to recommend the chairperson and members of the National Sports Board (NSB).
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The NSB is the apex body created under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, to recognise national sports bodies and enforce governance norms.
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Committee members include Hari Ranjan Rao (Secretary, MYAS), Lt Gen (Retd) Harpal Singh, shooter Gagan Narang and weightlifter N. Kunjurani Devi.
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Only NSB-recognised bodies will be eligible for central government funding.
- ●Committee: Search-cum-Selection Committee for the National Sports Board (NSB)
- ●Chairperson: Cabinet Secretary Dr. T.V. Somanathan
- ●Parent law: National Sports Governance Act, 2025
- ●Will recommend NSB chairperson and two members
- ●Members include Hari Ranjan Rao (Secretary, MYAS), Lt Gen (Retd) Harpal Singh, Gagan Narang and N. Kunjurani Devi
National Sports Board (NSB)
Apex body to recognise National Sports Bodies, enforce governance/financial/ethical norms; only recognised bodies get central funds
National Sports Tribunal (NST)
Statutory tribunal under the same Act to adjudicate sports-related disputes
National Sports Governance Act, 2025
Received Presidential assent on 18 August 2025; establishes NSB and NST; replaced the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011. Partial provisions came into force from 1 January 2026.
National Sports Policy 2025 (Khelo Bharat Niti)
Approved by the Union Cabinet on 1 July 2025; broader policy framework guiding India's sports ecosystem and its 2036 Olympics ambitions.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS)
Administers the Act; its Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao is a committee member.
Cabinet Secretary
Dr. T.V. Somanathan, India's senior-most civil servant, chairs the selection committee.
Exam Relevance
GS Paper II > Governance > Statutory & Regulatory Bodies
General Awareness > Acts, Committees & Sports
Expected Questions
- ★The National Sports Board is established under which Act?
- ★Who chairs the Search-cum-Selection Committee for the NSB?
Key Terms
Statutory apex regulator for recognising and overseeing national sports bodies, created under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
The senior-most civil servant of the Government of India; the post is currently held by Dr. T.V. Somanathan.
Must Remember
- •National Sports Governance Act, 2025: assent 18 August 2025; replaced the 2011 Sports Code
- •NSB composition: 1 chairperson + 2 members
- •Selection committee chaired by Cabinet Secretary Dr. T.V. Somanathan
- •Act also creates the National Sports Tribunal (NST)
Exam Tips
- •Link this with the 2036 Olympics bid and 'Khelo Bharat Niti' (National Sports Policy 2025) for GS-II governance questions.