New Delhi, May 21 -- Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya has proposed sweeping amendments to the National Anti-Doping Act to introduce criminal provisions targeting trafficking, illegal supply and organised networks involved in doping, while making it clear that athletes themselves will not face criminal prosecution merely for anti-doping rule violations or positive tests.

In a public consultation paper issued on Thursday, the Sports Ministry said the current anti-doping framework is largely limited to sporting sanctions such as suspensions, disqualifications and stripping of medals, and lacks a dedicated criminal mechanism to tackle the organised ecosystem behind performance-enhancing substances.

The proposed ...