India joins WADA for up Anti doping measures

New Delhi, July 24 (UNI) The Government, in a bid to check doping problem, has joined hands with the members of the Foundation of WADA, set up with the initiative of the International Olympic Committee and for anti doping programmes and initiatives.

The WADA agreeemnt was signed under the Copenhagen Declaration on Anti Doping in December, 2004 after seeking the approval of the Cabinet in its meeting held on December 15, 2004.

Presently, the anti-doping programme in the country is being run by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) under the Central Sector Plan Scheme of "Scheme of Dope Test" through an advanced Dope Control Centre with modern testing facility and having requisite ISO certification.

In order to ensure the effective implementation of the guidelines, programmes as enshrined in the Copenhagen Declaration and further articulated in detail in the International Convention against Doping in Sport, two institutions -- National anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and National Dope Test Laboratory (NDTL) -- are being established and operationalised as independent bodies.

NADA, established as an autonomous Society, shall act as an advisory body to the Government on policy formulation on anti-doping in sports and as a nodal agency for implementation of programmes relating to anti-doping in the country. The main activities of NADA shall pertain to Test Planning and Management and Education and Research in anti-doping.

The NDTL, the existing Dope Control Centre, which is already under the process of getting WADA accreditation is preparing for the coming Commonwealth Youth Games 2008 in Pune and Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi. This center will be upgraded as National Dope Test Laboratory and it is proposed to enhance its present capacity of testing approximately from approximately 2000 samples a year to approximately 5000 samples a year by 2010.

The existing scheme for Dope Test is under the process of revision to incorporate the newly created/proposed institutional framework as above. During the 10th Plan the scheme has been run through SAI with a budget outlay of Rs 23.60 crores.

UNI