Feature
Kyrgyzstan key part of India’s Central Asia vision: Modi
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his visit to all five Central Asian countries demonstrates the importance India attaches to a new level of ties with the region and added that Kyrgyzstan is a key part of that vision.
In a statement after holding talks with President Almazbek Atambayev, Modi also thanked Kyrgyzstan for its support to India’s candidature for a permanent United Nations Security Council seat.
The two sides signed four agreements, including in defence cooperation, and a Memorandum of Mutual Understanding and Cooperation in the field of elections.
“We see an important place for Central Asia in India’s future. We can reinforce each other’s economic progress. We can contribute to cooperation and integration across the different regions of Asia,” he said.
He said India and Central Asia “seek a peaceful and secure neigbourhood at a time of challenges in our region. And we have shared interest in combating extremism and terrorism that has become a threat without borders”.
Modi expressed happiness over the agreement between the two countries’ election commissions, and said he looked forward to a parliamentary delegation from Kyrgyzstan visiting India.
The Indian leader said both sides spoke at length about strengthening ties in trade, investment, tourism, culture and human resource development.
Modi said the launch of a tele-medicine link with India, which he is to inaugurate, would be the first in the region.
“We will also initiate the second phase of the Kyrgyz-India Mountain Bio-Medical Research Center.
“I am pleased that we have established an India-Kyrgyz Centre for Information Technology in the Kyrgyz State University in Bishkek.
“Information technology is critical for success today and for creating opportunities for the youth. We will be pleased to set up similar centres in other major cities in Kyrgystan.”
Modi said both countries would hold a round table in Bishkek in the field of agriculture to explore possible avenues for cooperation and identify concrete projects.
“Kyrgystan’s commitment to the UN Peacekeeping Missions is truly laudable.”
He said the bilateral defence ties were strong. “We have just completed a joint exercise… We have decided to hold joint military exercises on an annual basis”.
“The IT Centre in the Kyrgyz Military Academy is an example of innovative cooperation that is important to both countries”.
He said the new agreement on defence cooperation would provide a framework to broaden engagement and would include the defence technology.
He congratulated President Atambaev on Kyrgyzstan joining the Eurasian Economic Union and said both sides have agreed that a Free Trade Agreement between India and EEU would substantially increase cooperation.
“He expressed support for an early completion of the Joint Study Group’s feasibility report. We agree this will make Kyrgyzstan a base for India’s economic engagement in the region,” Modi added.
The agreement on defence cooperation seeks to deepen cooperation in matters relating to security, military education and training, military exercises, and exchange of experience, military instructors and observers.
Both sides also inked a MoU on cooperation in the fields of standards and culture.
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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