India’s athletics system has come under sharp global scrutiny after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) officially categorised the country as a ‘Category A’ nation — the highest doping risk bracket under World Athletics Rule 15.
This move means stricter anti-doping rules, increased testing, and tighter monitoring for Indian athletes moving forward — a significant escalation in oversight.
The AIU’s decision is rooted in consistent data. India has been among the top two nations globally for Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) over the past four years:
2022: 48 cases (2nd highest)
2023: 63 cases (2nd highest)
2024: 71 cases (highest globally)
2025: Already 30 cases so far
AIU Chair David Howman did not hold back, stating that India’s doping risk has remained “extremely high for a long time” and that the domestic anti-doping programme is not proportionate to the scale of the problem.
While the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has pushed for reforms, the AIU believes progress has been insufficient. Now, under Category A, India will face mandatory minimum testing requirements for national athletes and closer international supervision.
Last year, the Athletics Integrity Unit took action against many Indian athletes, including two prominent names — Twinkle Chaudhary (800m) and Sneha Kolleri (400m). Both cases raised concerns about domestic testing. Twinkle was tested multiple times before competing at the Asian Athletics Championships but returned a positive result in an AIU test at the competition. Similarly, Sneha, a national camper, was tested multiple times before representing India at the World Relays, yet tested positive there for Stanozolol. A major shock came when one of her earlier samples, initially negative, returned positive upon AIU re-testing — raising serious questions about the credibility of India’s National Anti-Doping Agency globally.
The contrast is stark — while India has been placed in the highest-risk category, countries like Bahrain are being downgraded due to successful reforms and improved testing systems, highlighting what structured anti-doping governance can achieve.
This is not just a classification — it’s a warning signal for Indian athletics. The focus now shifts to whether India can implement real reforms quickly enough to restore credibility on the global stage.