Feature
Modi commissions India-built ship in Mauritius
Port Louis: An India-built patrol vessel, Coast Guard Ship Barracuda, the first such ship to be exported by India, was commissioned here on Thursday by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Anerood Jugnauth.
Commissioning the vessel, Modi, who climbed on board the ship later, said the event reflects the bilateral partnership “that has stood the test of time”.
Modi said the ship was a “symbol of our shared commitment to peace and security in Indian Ocean – our common maritime home”.
He said the Barracuda would protect the Mauritian islands and waters and help in times of disasters and emergencies.
“But, she will do more than that. She will also help make our Indian Ocean safer and more secure. In doing so, Mauritius will fulfill an important international responsibility. Because, the Indian Ocean is critical to the future of the world,” he said.
The Mauritian government had placed an order for an Indian Offshore Patrol Vessel in 2011. The Barracuda is the first such ship that India has exported.
The ship was constructed by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd. in Kolkata. It weighs 1,350 tonnes, and is 74 metres in length. It was acquired by Mauritian authorities at Rs.1.9 billion. Its maximum speed is recorded at 22 knots and it is equipped with a helipad.
The ship will be used to carry out anti-piracy and anti-drug operations and used for the protection of the exclusive economic zone of the island.
Modi said the Indian Ocean, through which most of the world’s trade passes, was at the centre of global attention more than ever before.
“We also see growing global stakes and presence in the (Indian) Ocean,” he said.
“We will all prosper when the seas are safe, secure and free for all. To ensure this will be our greatest collective responsibility,” he said.
The prime minister said India will be more dependent than before on the ocean and the surrounding regions.
India will “do everything to safeguard our mainland and islands and defend our interests” and also work to ensure a safe, secure and stable Indian Ocean Region, he said.
“Second, we will deepen our economic and security cooperation with our friends in the region, especially our maritime neighbours and island states. We will also continue to build their maritime security capacities and their economic strength.”
“Three, collective action and cooperation will best advance peace and security in our maritime region. It will also prepare us better to respond to emergencies,” he said.
India also seeks a more integrated and cooperative future in the region that enhances the prospects for sustainable development for all, he said.
Modi said India was deeply engaged with the nations of the Indian Ocean Region.
“We do this through dialogue, visits, exercises, capacity building and economic partnership. We seek a future for Indian Ocean that lives up to the name of SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region,” he 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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