India, July 23 -- Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday tabled the amended National Anti-Doping Bill in the Lok Sabha with a view to provide greater "operational independence" to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) as prescribed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Among the highlights of the Bill is the retention of the contentious National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports, albeit its powers have been curtailed. The Board will no longer have the NADA appeals panel under its jurisdiction as was the case in the original act passed in 2022. These provisions were flagged by WADA as signs of government interference, leading to a delay in the Act's implementation.

The Board, in the previous Bill, was empowered to constitute the app...