Government brings bill in Lok Sabha for sports university in Manipur

The government on Monday moved a bill in the Lok Sabha to establish a specialised sports university in Manipur to promote various aspects of sports such as management, technology and coaching.

The National Sports University Bill, 2018, introduced by Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, will replace the ordinance promulgated by the President on May 31. 

Before the introduction of the bill, the minister withdrew a 2017 bill regarding the Manipur university from the House.

The 2018 bill seeks to “establish and incorporate a National Sports University in the State of Manipur, a specialised University first of its kind, to promote sports education in the areas of sports sciences, sports technology, sports management and sports coaching...”.

Besides, the proposed university would also function as the national training centre for select sports disciplines by adopting best international practices and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

As the National Sports University Bill, 2017, introduced in the Lok Sabha in August 2017, could not be passed, the government came out with an ordinance.

Among other things, the legislation proposes to empower the university to establish ‘Outlying Campuses’ throughout the country and also outside India.

“Apart from academic programmes and research, the university and its Outlying Campuses’ will also impart training to elite athletes, sports officials, referees, and umpires and evolve as centres of excellence in the various discipline of sports,” said the statement of objects and reasons of the bill.

In order to make the university a world-class institution, the government had signed an agreement with two Australian universities—University of Canberra and Victoria University—for development of curriculum, research facilities, and laboratories, among others.