Feature
Rajya Sabha to take up juvenile justice bill
New Delhi: Amid protests over the release of the December 16 gang-rape juvenile convict, the juvenile bill was listed for discussion and passing in the Rajya Sabha today.
As the issue was raised by Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien on Monday morning, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu got the bill added in a supplementary list of business soon after.
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014, provides for the trial of those between 16-18 years as adults for heinous offences. Also, anyone between 16-18 years who commits a less serious offence may be tried as an adult if he is apprehended after he attains the age of 21.
“The country is watching us (as to) what we are doing. We are discussing commercial courts, real estate (bill)… much more important is the juvenile justice (bill). Put this bill on the agenda, bring this bill,” O’Brien said raising the issue in the zero hour.
“It is incumbent upon this house to listen to what is going on outside. Let us rise above politics. Let us discuss and pass this (bill),” he said.
Cutting across party lines, members agreed on the need to pass the bill.
“I think that is the sense of the house,” Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the government was in agreement to take up the bill, adding it was listed repeatedly on several days during the ongoing winter session.
“We are ready to discuss the bill today (Monday) itself. It is listed for tomorrow as well… If the house agrees let us discuss it today, it is a sensitive issue,” said Naqvi.
Leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, however, The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill listed for the day should be passed first.
“As far as the juvenile justice bill is concerned, it is not listed today. It should be put in the list tomorrow (Tuesday) and discussed. Today, the SC/ST bill is there and we are committed to passing it today,” he said.
The Congress members then raised the issue of Delhi and District Cricket Association, causing an uproar and an adjournment of 15 minutes.
When the house met again, Naidu said the issue needs to be discussed as “there is widespread agitation across the country”.
He also said the bill was earlier listed for discussion on December 8, 10 and 11.
Azad, however, said: “If the government is so keen they should have listed it today. They want to give an impression that the opposition is not allowing it.”
Kurien said there should not be a “blame game” on the bill.
“When there is full agreement in the house, let us discuss and pass it (juvenile justice bill),” Kurien added.
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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