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TN Chief Minister Jayalalithaa dead
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa died here on Monday night after battling for life for 74 long days, triggering immense grief across the sprawling state. She was 68. “It is with indescribable grief, we announce the sad demise of our esteemed Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Puratchi Thalaivi Amma at 11.30 p.m.,” Apollo Hospitals said in a brief statement.
Jayalalithaa’s body will be kept at the Rajaji Hall for people to pay their respects, said the AIADMK, which the actor-turned-politician headed for decades. As the nation mourned her death, the Tamil Nadu government declared seven days of mourning. Schools and colleges in the state will be closed for three days. Jayalalithaa was admitted to the Apollo hospital on September 22 with fever and dehydration. She suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, and her condition became critical.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in paying homage to Jayalalithaa. “One of India’s most charismatic and popular leaders, Jayalalithaa was a visionary and able administrator,” Mukherjee said. Modi added: “Deeply saddened at the passing away of Jayalalithaa. Her demise has left a huge void in Indian politics.”
Defining Jayalalithaa as a mass leader, Modi said in another tweet: “Jayalalithaaji’s connect with citizens, concern for welfare of the poor, the women and marginalized will always be a source of inspiration.” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: “Popular, strong, bold, efficient, people- friendly, charismatic leader, Amma. Always at the heart of people. Big loss. I am shocked, saddened.” Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar described her passing away as “very saddening”. He announced a day’s state mourning in his state. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “Very sad to hear the demise of Amma. A very popular leader. Aam Aadmi’s leader. May her soul rest in peace.”
Whereas, DMK leader M.K. Stalin on Tuesday mourned the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, calling her an “iconic and courageous leader”. “Deeply saddened by the demise of our CM Selvi Jayalalithaa. My deepest condolences to the party cadres and well wishers in this hour of grief,” Stalin tweeted.”She was an iconic and courageous leader. This is an irreparable loss to the people of Tamil Nadu,” the former Deputy Chief Minister said in another tweet.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday condoled the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, saying she lived her life with same “indomitable courage with which she battled her last illness”. “I am deeply grieved to learn of the passing away of Selvi J. Jayalalithaa,” said Gandhi in a statement.
“As the leader of the AIADMK and as four-times Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, she had a unique and deep empathy with the needs and hopes of the people, and put in place policies that immeasurably improved their lives.
“Whether it was her welfare schemes for the rural and urban poor, her swift relief measures in the aftermath of Tsunami or her vision for Tamil Nadu’s industrial development, her leadership qualities and administrative abilities were truly outstanding,” said the Congress chief.
“The Congress party, my family and I personally share the grief and pain of the people of Tamil Nadu and her devoted supporters in the AIADMK, who have lost their beloved ‘Amma’,” Gandhi said. “She was a towering figure in our national and political life, who won admiration across the political spectrum for the intrepid spirit with which she faced the ups and downs of her life in politics, for her commitment to the people of her state, and her dedication to the honour of India,” she added. The AIADMK leader passed away at the Apollo hospital in Chennai late Monday night, a day after she suffered cardiac arrest. She was 68.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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