Feature
Police cops can be seen very soon with brand new look!
New Delhi: Very soon you could see our police cops in brand new look. Cops across the country are set to shed their British-era khaki.
After five years of research, Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design (NID) has come up with a new all-weather, visually appealing ‘smart uniform’ which will be standardized across all states, Union Territories and central paramilitary forces.
Designed in collaboration with the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), nine prototypes of new uniforms have been developed, which include shirts, trousers, belts, berets (cap), insignia, shoes and jacket, apart from new rainwear and headgear for the law enforcers.
A report in this regard is being shared with all state police forces and paramilitary forces so that they can choose and adopt from any of the nine prototypes.
Taking into account climate conditions in different parts of the country, altitude, working conditions and nature of duties, experts and BPR&D officers arrived at the new designs.
Inputs gathered from police officers in nine states and the general public shows the present uniforms have many problems. One, the lack of uniformity across the country; the basic fit and shades change from policeman to policeman and state to state.
The fabric of the shirts worn by cops is as thick as that of the trousers, making it inconvenient in hot weather. Moreover, there isn’t enough space to carry the required objects.
The berets/caps worn by cops are smart but made of wool, causing headaches and hairfall, while helmets are too heavy to wear during law-and -order situations. The metal belts are too wide and poke the stomach when a cop bends.
The uniforms are also devoid of compartments for cellphones, batons, keys etc, unlike those for police forces across the world. The biggest problem faced by police officers currently is their shoes. Those made of leather are said to be very uncomfortable for long duty hours.
The uniforms have also been found to have poor visibility in the dark. Khaki is also the colour of choice for municipality staff, some private agencies, postmen, personnel of the fire department, etc, even though cops have long argued that it should be exclusive to them.
Speaking to media, director general BPR&D, which helped design the new uniform, Meera Borwankar said, “There was lot of criticism of the khaki, and how its colour, fabric and pattern should be changed.
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.