Connect with us

Feature

PM Narendra Modi on three days historic visit to Israel

Published

on

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israel, India, BJP, Bhartiya Janta Party

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi has made high profile visits to countless countries after he became prime minister of India. But no other visit excites as much enthusiasm and optimism among the informed public in India, especially Indian farmers, as Modi’s visit to Israel.

Looking for new agriculture technology as well as high-tech weapons to fuel his military modernization program, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making a landmark trip to Israel, the first by a sitting Indian premier.

 

 

This is the first time an Indian prime minister is visiting Israel, that too without visiting Palestine in the same trip, which would have been unthinkable during non-BJP regimes. This de-hyphenation of India’s relations with Israel is widely welcomed in India by all except the Communists and Islamist’s.

 

The visit starting today is likely to focus on security and economic ties with Israel, which is becoming a significant defense partner as India seeks advanced weaponry after relying on the Soviet Union and Russia for most of its military technology.

 

 

India has traditionally downplayed relations with Israel in part because of concerns that it would alienate the country’s 170 million Muslims. But PM Modi is skipping a similar visit to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

 

India is one of the world’s largest arms importers and has emerged as Israel’s biggest defense buyer amid slow, bureaucratic military procurement process, even as it faces serious regional and internal security threats.

 

Since April, India has inked three missile deals with Israel worth $2.6 billion, two senior defense officials said, declining to be identified as they are not approved to speak about the deals.

 

 

India’s Air Force is now awaiting clearance to buy two Phalcon airborne surveillance radars from Israel at a cost of $1.16 billion, while the army is waiting for approval to buy 8,356 Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, along with 321 launchers, for nearly $500 million, the two officials said.

 

PM Modi will be seeking advanced missiles and drones, says Shashank Joshi, a senior research fellow at London’s Royal United Services Institute, or RUSI.

 

“Defense is a major factor pulling India and Israel together, not only because India needs arms, but also because it wants the technology inside them,” Joshi said. “India is especially interested in Israeli missiles, drones and the sub-systems that go inside larger platforms.”

 

Israel is hoping stronger commercial ties will lead India to vote in Israel’s favor at the United Nations and in other international forums, where the Asian giant traditionally has supported the Palestinians.

Entertainment

Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists

Published

on

By

PureWin Online Betting

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.

Continue Reading

Trending