Delhi Assembly passes Delhi Sports University Bill, 2019

January 3, 2019

By Rupin Chopra and Reetika Wadhwa

The Delhi Legislative Assembly on December 02, 2019, passed the Delhi Sports University Bill, 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Bill’).[1]

The Bill initiates the establishment of India’s first official sports University (hereinafter referred to as ‘University’) which will provide sports education in a formalized structure. The Bill aims at recognizing talents, providing training and the right platform to showcase their abilities. The Bill can be accessed

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Key features of the Delhi Sports University Bill, 2019.

  • It will be India’s first University to offer graduate, post graduate and doctorate degrees in various sports such as cricket, hockey, and football.
  • Being affiliated to CBSE, it will be able to establish schools and colleges all over India that will engage in providing different courses in the field of sports.
  • An eminent and internationally recognized sportsperson shall be appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the University.
  • The Bill focuses on evolvement of the University as one of the premier institutes for advanced studies in physical education and sports science.
  • It will build, groom and recognize students who have achieved distinction in various sports in their school.
  • A formal governance structure will be formulated which will be responsible for undertaking prompt decisions and their implementation.
  • 10-12 different sports will be identified where the University would possess sufficient skills.
  • The University will also provide mandatory academic courses along with sports to enhance formal education of the students enrolled with the University.
  • It will be run solely by professionals, and political or bureaucratic intervention will be absolutely negated.

Drawbacks – Though the Bill provides for a unique establishment, it still faces the following issues which need to be addressed.

  • No timeline has been provided regarding the infrastructural completion of the University.
  • The curriculum is yet to be framed and with so many recognized sports in India curating an appropriate course structure can be a challenging and time consuming task.
  • The Bill remains silent about some of the indigenous sports played in India and development of the same.
  • Additionally, the Bill doesn’t mention about the gender disparity that exists in the field of sports and the manner in which it can be eradicated.

Conclusion –

In India, lack of resources and proper training divests several young sport enthusiasts to drop their aspirations. Therefore, the idea of such a University would help assist in providing an appropriate platform for grooming the students and transforming them into international level players. The Bill also targets at India winning more medals in the upcoming Olympic Games. Conversely, this target looks like a far cry as the thought of this University is still on paper. However, swift implementation of this idea can create a positive global impact for Indian athletes and sports persons.

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[1] Bill No. 05 of 2015; Delhi Government Dept. of Higher Education- http://delhiassembly.nic.in/Legislation/2019-05.pdf

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