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Modi performs ‘Asans’ on occasion of 3rd International Yoga Day in Lucknow
Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi did yogic exercises amid rains for some 15 minutes here on Wednesday on the occasion of 3rd International Yoga Day.
Leading the celebrations of the third edition of the International Yoga Day here at a rain-drenched Ramabai Amedkar Sthal, Modi said yoga was a path to attain wellness and was akin to a free life insurance.
“There was a time when yoga was confined to sages meditating in the Himalayan caves. But now yoga is becoming a part of people’s daily life not just in India but across the world,” the Prime Minister said in his address to thousands.
The crowd was estimated to be 45,000 strong, slightly less than the 51,000 which was expected, due to heavy rains that lashed Lucknow since morning.
“There are many countries which don’t know our language, are not aware about Indian culture or traditions but they too are practising yoga. Much like it connects the mind with the soul, yoga is playing an important role in connecting the world,” said Modi, dressed in a white track suit.
Modi said since the UN declared June 21 as the International Day for Yoga, awareness about yoga had been rising the world over leading to creation of a new job market.
“Today, there is hardly any country where there is no attraction or awareness for yoga. In the last three years, new yoga training institutes have developed, demand for yoga trainers and training institutes have been rising. Youths are now steadily adopting yoga as a profession.
“In countries across the globe the demand for yoga teachers is rising, creating a new job market. Indians are the most preferred choice,” he said.
He also said efforts were on to standardise yoga practices in India as also the world.
The Prime Minister underlined that yoga in life was as important as salt in food.
Modi performs ‘Asans’ on occasion of 3rd International Yoga Day in Lucknow, compares it with ‘salt’:
“Salt not just makes food tasty but also adds nourishment value to it. It is cheap and is used in very small quantity but none can deny its significance.
“More than fitness, more than being healthy, people now yearn for wellness. And there is no better way to attain wellness than yoga,” said Modi.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, Chief Minster Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma were among those present at the event.
After addressing the gathering, which cheered him from time to time, the Prime Minister joined the gathering in the open air venue, amid heavy rains, and practised yoga for more than 15 minutes.
Surrounded by heavy security, Modi walked to the mat reserved for him and waved to the crowd. Many tried to shake hands with him.
The Prime Minister did yogic exercises and ‘pranayam’ as demonstrated by a group of yoga teachers on the stage.
He left after 15 minutes even as Naik, Adityanath and others continued to do yoga.
Modi it set to fly back to New Delhi in an Indian Air Force plane.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, Adityanath said yoga helps to unite people.
“Yoga is an ancient Indian practice and all ancient scriptures including the Vedas have accepted the importance of yoga. Yoga is a way of life and helps to unite people,” Adityanath said.
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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