Feature
Jayalalithaa’s condition being monitored, no statement from Governor
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was in a critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest and is being treated by a team of specialists at Apollo Hospitals where she has been admitted since late September.Crowds thronged the hospital on Sunday evening while top leaders and common people across India prayed for her well-being and recovery.
“Our doctors are closely monitoring Hon’ble CM’s condition and they are trying their very best,” tweeted Apollo Hospitals Joint Managing Director Sangita Reddy on Monday.Maharashtra Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao, who has additional charge of the state, returned from Mumbai and visited the hospital to enquire about Jayalalithaa’s condition on Sunday night.However he has not issued any statement after his hospital visit.
In the earlier occasion Raj Bhavan had issued a statement soon after he visited Apollo Hospitals.On Sunday night the hospital said, in a statement: “The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who is undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai, suffered a cardiac arrest this evening. She is being treated and monitored by a team of experts including cardiologists, pulmonologist and the critical care specialists.”It later said in a tweet that she “is on extracorporeal membrane heart assist device and is being treated by a team of expert doctors and critical care specialists”.”Dr Richard Beale from London has also been consulted and he has concurred with the line of treatment by our cardiologists & pulmonologists,” it said in another tweet.
In an another tweet, the hospital said: “The Hon’ble CM is the beloved leader of the masses. Please join us in praying for her speedy recovery. #GodblessAmma #Jayalalithaa.”State ministers, senior officials and others gathered at the hospital, as did a huge crowd of AIADMK cadre, many of whom broke down while others fervently prayed for her recovery. Some tried to enter the hospital premises but were restrained.Meanwhile according to reports some areas experienced shortage of milk supplies and traders jacked up the prices several folds.President Pranab Mukherjee wished Jayalalithaa a speedy recovery.
“Distressed to hear about CM Jayalalithaa suffering a cardiac arrest, my prayers for her speedy recovery,” said a post on the President’s official Twitter account.DMK chief M. Karunanidhi and his son and party leader M.K. Stalin also took to Twitter to convey their wishes for her speedy recovery.”Wishing #jayalalithaa Hon CM of TN a speedy recovery, Let her be healthy soon,” tweeted Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.”Praying for Jayalalithaa ji’s quick recovery. I hope she gets better very soon,” said Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on his official Twitter handle.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her concern over the health of her Tamil Nadu counterpart, and wished her a speedy recovery. Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad tweeted: “Totally worried about the health of #Jayalalithaa Ji. Wishing and Praying for speedy recovery. Let’s all pray for her.”The 68-year-old Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital for treatment of fever and dehydration on September 22. The doctors later said she needed a longer hospital stay as she was suffering from infection, and put her on respiratory support.Recently Apollo Hospitals Chairman Pratap C. Reddy told media that Jayalalithaa is returning to normalcy, and had been shifted out of Intensive Care Unit as there were no health complications. She could go home whenever she decides to do so, he had said.
Entertainment
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
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.