Feature
Indian military howitzers to be showstoppers at Republic Day parade
New Delhi: Indian military might will be on full display at the Republic Day parade, with some newly-acquired weapons and old war horses strutting down Rajpath in the company of military bands and with attack choppers and fighter jets roaring above in the sky.
In November last year, the Indian Army inducted its first howitzers three decades after Bofors guns.
The 155mm, 39 calibre ultra-light howitzers have been procured from the US under government to government Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and will be assembled in India by BAE Systems in partnership with Mahindra Defence.
The versatile M777 gun system, with a range of 30 km, is a towed gun that can be lifted by helicopters and service aircraft, thereby providing the much needed flexibility in deployment in various terrains.
The howitzer is currently in service in the US, Canadian, Australian and several other armies, besides proving its mettle in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Another attraction would be the 155mm 52 calibre tracked, self-propelled K9 Vajra, with a maximum range of 28-38 km.
The machine is capable of firing three rounds in 30 seconds in the “burst” mode, 15 rounds in three minutes in the “intense” mode and 60 rounds in 60 minutes in the “sustained” mode.
It requires five personnel to operate the gun as against eight personnel needed to operate a Bofors gun.
The 155mm gun is also capable of direct firing with a range of one kilometre and would facilitate mechanised operation in desert terrain.
Indian military might will be on full display at this Republic Day parade:
Vajra have been imported from Hanwha Techwin of South Korea in “semi knocked down” state and have been assembled by Larsen & Toubro in India.
Another new entry this year is that of Surface Mine Clearing System (SMCS). The system is mounted on Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP-II and can be detached at convenience.
Indigenously designed by the Bharrat Earth Movers Ltd, the SMCS can clear in a single pass up to 98 per cent anti-personnel and 100 per cent anti-tank mines.
The BMP-II, which can also float on water, will also be displayed separately. Fitted with a 30mm rapid fire cannon and a 7.62mm machine gun, and it is capable of destroying tanks and combat helicopters.
Its main weapon is the anti-tank guided missile, Konkurs, that can destroy enemy tank up to four kilometres away.
Also on display would be the Main Battle Tank (MBT) T-90. The Russian origin tank can fire four types of ammunition and can also launch a missile from the gun. The 46-tonne lethal giant can hunt and kill at night effectively with the help of thermal imaging sight and can move in all types of terrain.
The made-in-India Akash Weapon System will also be on display. The system is capable of firing short-range surface to air missile against enemy aerial platforms. It is also capable of carrying out surveillance of airspace.
In the sky, a flypast by MI-17 and Rudra armed helicopters besides a number of IAF fighter jets such as Migs and Su-30 Mki doing breathtaking manoeuvres will enthral the viewers.
The contingents of the Army, Navy, Air Force and paramilitary forces marching on martial tunes in perfect rhythm will add glamour to the parade.
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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