Will Congress support the blanket ban on real money gaming? Kharge issues Big Statement, says it will kill...
Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, said the decision would hit state revenues, jobs and investments. 'India earns Rs 20,000 crore annually from GST and income tax via online RMG. The ban means states lose this revenue stream,' he said in a post on 'X'.
The minister noted that over 2,000 gaming startups and more than two lakh jobs in IT, AI and design would be at risk.
'A ban kills India's gaming talent pool and pushes entrepreneurs abroad,' Kharge said, adding that Rs 23,000 crore of foreign direct investment in the last five years could dry up and about Rs 7,000 crore spent annually on ads, data centres, sponsorships and cyber security would vanish overnight.
Warning of unintended consequences, the minister said, 'Bans don't stop addiction or suicides. Instead, they push users to unregulated offshore platforms worth Rs 8.2 lakh crore annually where government has no control at all.
'Security risks: Unregulated sites ensure money laundering, terror financing, data theft. Even FATF and Rashtriya Raksha University warn against such risks.'
Noting that the Supreme Court is still deciding whether the Centre or states have the power to regulate, Kharge questioned 'Why the rush to ban now?'
He said prohibition is not the solution and called for regulating skill-based platforms, enforcing IT Rules, 2021, and whitelisting legitimate operators.
'A well-balanced regulation will ensure jobs, revenue, safer users, national security and global innovation,' he said, cautioning that 'a blanket ban will not only lead to revenue loss, but will give rise to illegal markets that might threaten national security and, of course, there will be a huge innovation setback. Regulation is the way forward.'
The proposed promotion and regulation of online gaming bill, cleared by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday, prohibits online money gaming or its ads, and prescribes imprisonment or fine, or both, for those offering or advertising them, as it seeks to differentiate such games from eSports or online social games, according to a source.
(With PTI Inputs)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
7 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Mukesh Ambani's Jio axes Rs 799 prepaid plan with 1.5GB daily data after scrapping its 1 GB plans
Synopsis Jio has discontinued its Rs 799 prepaid plan offering 1.5GB daily data with 84 days validity, following the removal of its entry-level 1GB per day plan. An upgraded Rs 899 plan with JioSaavn Pro is now available. This adjustment occurs amid broader telecom sector changes, with Airtel also increasing its recharge prices. Despite these changes, Jio added 1. Agencies Mukesh D. Ambani, chairman and managing director, RIL. Mukesh Ambani-led Jio has discontinued its 1.5GB-per-day prepaid pack with 84 days of validity, priced at Rs 799, as of Wednesday. The move comes just two days after the operator scrapped its entry-level 1GB-per-day plan for prepaid plan, which bundled unlimited calls, 100 daily SMS and access to Jio apps, was no longer visible on Jio's official website. Instead, an upgraded version priced at Rs 899 was visible, with benefits mirroring that of the now-scrapped plan. The new plan, however, also includes JioSaavn Pro, according to the listing on the Jio website. With the development, the Rs 889 plan has become Jio's only option for users seeking 1.5GB daily data for 84 read: Mukesh Ambani's Jio discontinues its 1 GB/day plan for users The removal comes amid broader adjustments in the telecom sector. Earlier this week, Jio eliminated its entry-level Rs 249 plan that offered 1GB of data per day for 28 days, effectively pushing up the floor for data-heavy prepaid packs. Rival Bharti Airtel, meanwhile, recently increased the price of its Rs 249 recharge to Rs 299. According to June data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Jio added 1.9 million wireless subscribers, extending its lead over rivals. Meanwhile, active user data showed contrasting trends in June: Jio and Airtel expanded their base of engaged subscribers, while Vodafone Idea (Vi) and BSNL continued to lose ground. Jio led the market with 464.46 million active users, accounting for 97.37% of its total subscriber base, followed by Airtel with 388.04 million (99.24%). Vi's active user base slipped to 172.65 million (84.54%), and BSNL reported the weakest engagement, with just 57.10 million active users, or 63.12% of its total.
Scroll.in
8 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Won't governments be at whims of governor if bills can be withheld indefinitely, asks SC
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned whether elected governments could be placed at the 'whims and fancies' of a governor who can simply withhold assent to bills without returning them to legislatures, Live Law reported. A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar has been hearing arguments on a reference made to the court by President Droupadi Murmu about its April 8 ruling that set timelines for governors and the president to grant assent to bills passed by legislatures. The court had issued a notice on July 22 to the Centre and all state governments on the reference. During the hearing on Wednesday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, told the bench that the governor had four options when it came to granting assent to bills as per Article 200 of the Constitution, Live Law reported. This included granting assent, withholding assent, reserving the bill for the president's consideration or returning the bill to the Assembly. If the governor says that he is withholding the assent, then it means that the bill 'dies', Mehta said. He added that the governor does not have to return the bill to the Assembly for reconsideration if assent is withheld. 'According to you, withholding means the bill falls through?' Live Law quoted Gavai as saying. 'But then, if he does not exercise the option of resending for reconsideration, he will withhold it for time immemorial.' In response, the solicitor general said that the Constitution itself had given that discretion to the governor. 'Are we then not giving total powers to the governor to sit in appeals?' Live Law quoted the chief justice as replying. 'The government elected by majority will be at the whims and fancies of the governor.' The bench also said that the governor would have to 'declare' or communicate his decision on a bill in any case and not withhold assent without providing a reason, Bar and Bench reported. It further said that the central point of the debate would be about the meaning of 'withholding' and to see whether it meant temporary or permanent. On the question about when a governor could withhold assent, the solicitor general said that this would be when a bill has provisions that violate fundamental rights or are not desirable. The power to withhold is to be used rarely and only in the first instance as it leads to the death of the bill, he added. 'Governor is not just a postman,' Bar and Bench quoted Mehta as saying. 'He represents Union of India, appointed by the president. The president is elected by entire nation by way of entire election and that is also a way of democratic expression.' The court, however, noted that even when the governor withholds the assent, the 'political process' could knock on his door and he can send the bill back for reconsideration. 'But to say that when first time he says 'I withhold, the matter comes to an end'. It can't be like that,' Bar and Bench quoted Narasimha as saying. The hearing will continue on Thursday. The Supreme Court's April 8 ruling came on a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government after Governor RN Ravi did not act on several bills for more than three years before rejecting them and sending some to the president. The court held that governors must decide on bills within a reasonable time and cannot delay indefinitely under Article 200. Similarly, the president must act within three months under Article 201, and any delay beyond that must be explained and communicated to the state government. Both provisions outline the process of assent to bills by governors and the president. The judgment had also introduced the concept of 'deemed assent' in cases of prolonged inaction, allowing pending bills to be considered approved. In May, Murmu made the reference to the court under Article 143(1) of the Constitution with regard to its April 8 ruling.
Hans India
8 minutes ago
- Hans India
Odisha CM Majhi thanks PM Modi for approval of Capital Region Ring Road project
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, along with members of his Council of Ministers and legislators, on Wednesday extended gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving the Capital Region Ring Road (CRRR) project at a ceremony held at the State Guest House here. The CRRR will be a 111-km six-lane road project with an estimated cost of Rs 8,342 crore. The project is expected not only to ease traffic flow but also boost Bhubaneswar's development as a textile and software hub, thereby strengthening Odisha's economic prospects. Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Minister Majhi said: "I express my heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for granting approval to the Capital Region Ring Road project. This transformative project will ensure smoother connectivity, accelerate industrial growth, and open new avenues for trade and investment in Odisha." During the event, it was also highlighted that global steel major POSCO, which had earlier exited the state due to massive protest, is returning to Odisha with the support of the 'double engine government'. The company in a joint venture with a leading group is set to establish a mega steel plant in Keonjhar district with an investment of over Rs 50,000 crore. Initially, the plant will have a capacity of 6 million tonnes, which will later be scaled up to 12 million tonnes. Keonjhar has been chosen as the site due to its strong infrastructure facilities including road, air, rail, water, and power connectivity. To attract more investments, the Odisha government has been conducting roadshows in Delhi, Mumbai, and Singapore, and is planning another in Hyderabad soon. With its attractive incentive package and investor-friendly industrial policy, Odisha is positioning itself as a preferred destination for national and international investors. CM Majhi also praised the approval of two semiconductors in Bhubaneswar during the last meeting of the Union Cabinet.
