Feature
‘Divorce’ ruled out, Jason and Nikita to stay together
Priyanka Trivedi Sharma
LUCKNOW: The lone chimpanzee pair in Uttar Pradesh, Nikita and Jason, will at last not be separated. The authorities of Lucknow Zoo have decided to postpone the move for now after the wildlife experts had warned that the forced separation may cause emotional trauma to the pair that could even lead to fatality. Talking to Aaj ki Khabar, Director Lucknow Zoo Anupam Gupta said “ After deliberating on various considerations, we have decided to postpone the move. Nikita and Jason are not going to be separated. The move to shift Nikita to Kanpur Zoo has been put on hold”. He further added that shifting Nikita was considered as an option only to facilitate breeding so that the state has more number of this valuable animal. Earlier, the Zoo authorities had decided to shift Nikita to Kanpur Zoo which houses a male Chimpanzee Chajju. The authorities were of the opinion that since Nikita and Jason could not produce an offspring even after 20 years of togetherness, the move to shift her with Chajju might prove productive.
The decision of Lucknow Zoo authorities has brought smiles on the faces of wildlife experts and animal lovers. Animal activists were also against the move of separation and had threatened protests if the popular and romantic chimpanzee pair was ‘divorced’. Speaking to Aaj ki Khabar, visitors at Lucknow zoo expressed happiness at the decision of the Zoo authorities and said that it has always been a delight to see Nikita and Jason together and they are very happy that the Zoo authorities have reversed their earlier decision.
Lucknow Zoo authorities have decided against the forced separation after Wildlife Board of India had written to UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Union Minister Maneka Gandhi demanding reversal of the decision. Wildlife Board of India had consulted the experts of Lincoln Park Zoo and according to Media Reports, Stephen Ross, Director, Lincoln Park Zoo had opined that separation could cause severe emotional trauma for the male Chimpanzee Jason. Nikita nad Jason were born in Seeden in 1992 and were initially brought to mysore under exchange programme. They were later shifted to Lucknow Zoo where they have been together since last two decades.
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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