Laxman takes part in study visit of ONOE JPC
He stated that these discussions represent a significant advancement in shaping the future of India's democratic and electoral landscape.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
18 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Bombay HC questions right of Jain organisations to seek closure of slaughterhouse for entire Paryushan Parv
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday questioned the right of organisations representing the Jain community to seek closure of slaughterhouses for the entire period of nearly 10 days of Paryushan, a prominent Jain festival. The court said there was no legislative mandate in law for such an order. The HC also issued notice to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the state government, seeking their response to pleas seeking closure of slaughterhouses for the entire festival. The court also said that it cannot stay the present BMC decision. A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep V Marne was hearing Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by Sheth Bherulalji Kanaiyalalji Kothari Religious Trust and Sheth Motishaw Lalbaug Jain Charities and two other organisations. The petitioners had relied on the Supreme Court judgement of March 2008 in Hinsa Virodhak Sangh vs Mirzapur Moti Kuresh Jamat pertaining to Ahmedabad (Gujarat) that upheld the decision of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to close down slaughterhouses during Jain festival. Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud argued that the BMC, in its August 14 decision, did not consider that the Mumbai city has more Jain population than Ahmedabad. He submitted that BMC's order was exactly a 'copy-paste' version of last year's decision and it 'exhibits lack of application of mind and has been passed by taking into account the material which is not relevant for the purposes of the decision'. The petitioners also referred to Article 51A (g) of the Constitution related to fundamental duty of citizens to have compassion for living creatures and argued the civic bodies should considered the same. The HC remarked that it could not direct the authority to close slaughterhouses for the entire Paryushan Parv as there was 'no legislative mandate' in law. The judges orally remarked, 'You (petitioners) are seeking a mandamus of 10-day closure. For that there has to be a mandate in law. You must have a right which could be enforced by court of law. Where does the law say that slaughter houses must be closed for 10 days? No stay can be granted (on BMC decision) because you are seeking writ of mandamus. Except for pointing out an error in BMC order , you have not made out a case for issuing mandamus.' The HC emphasised that the SC verdict was on a decision made by Ahmedabad civic body and not one imposed by judicial order of the court. The bench orally remarked, 'You (petitioners) will appreciate the difficulty (of the HC). In SC judgement, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had taken a decision (of closure), which was upheld by the court. But in this case, there is no legislative mandate, no rule, no law that they must close (for all 10 days). Where is that obligation? You understand the distinction.' Senior advocate Prasad Dhakephalkar for another petitioner argued that the BMC had taken a decision despite there being a large number of vegetarian population in the city. He remarked it was easier 'to appeal and convince Mughal emperor Akbar' to prohibit slaughter in Gujarat (in his times as mentioned in SC verdict) but it was difficult to convince the BMC and state government. The HC allowed petitioners to amend the pleas to challenge BMC's August 14 order and posted the hearing after two weeks.
The Hindu
18 minutes ago
- The Hindu
RMG firms quietly assess Bill banning their industry; video game firms welcome move
Real money gaming (RMG) firms struck a cautious tone in responding to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (August 20, 2025). The Bill prohibits any sort of online game that accepts money from users in exchange for a chance to win a return on the money, or risk losing what they put in. The E-Gaming Federation (EGF), which represents Games24x7 and RummyCircle, two RMG platforms, said that the Bill was a 'distinct opportunity to establish a framework that safeguards players while promoting responsible growth in a sunrise sector.' It added, 'Thoughtful regulation can amplify the positive impact while ensuring responsible and fair practices remain at the core.' The Bill would force these firms to stop offering pay-to-play games. Commissions on these games are a principal revenue stream for RMG firms. 'Death knell' In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, the firms underlined their anxieties more explicitly. 'Such a blanket prohibition would strike a death knell for this legitimate, job-creating industry, and would cause serious harm to Indian users and citizens,' the EGF said, along with the All India Gaming Federation and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports. 'Fly-by-night' offshore firms would proliferate, investor sentiment would be dampened, and two lakh people would lose their jobs, the letter argued. Video gaming is distinct category Video game companies, which have complained in the past about their industries being conflated with the RMG industry under the umbrella 'gaming' label, welcomed the Bill. 'For the last two years, the singular demand of the Indian video games industry has been recognition and categorisation as a distinct industry-business, not clubbed with online money games,' Harish Chengaiah, CEO of Chennai-based Outlier Games said. 'With the proposed Bill, that demand has finally been met, and we thank the Government of India for it.' The Bill may find takers across the political spectrum, but few voices of support emerged from the Opposition, amid the standoff on the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and allegations of 'vote theft' by the INDIA coalition. However, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge and Congress MP Karti Chidambaram have both expressed concerns that an outright prohibition may not fix the problem and instead promote offshore gambling operators' attempts to make inroads among Indian users.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
18 minutes ago
- Business Standard
EPWA urges PMO to reconsider ban on real money games, seeks framework
In a letter to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the E-gamers and Players Welfare Association (EPWA) urged the Centre to reconsider the blanket ban on real money games (RMG) and establish a legal framework distinguishing between games of skill and chance. The industry association asked the government to involve gaming professionals, legal experts and stakeholders in shaping future policies, even as the Lok Sabha passed a Bill banning RMGs on Wednesday. The body requested that the Bill include provisions to protect player rights, covering data privacy, prevention of online abuse and a safe gaming space for people across backgrounds. It said the blanket ban threatens the livelihoods of gamers and raises concerns about users shifting to illegal offshore platforms. 'Games like chess, poker, esports and fantasy sports require strategy, focus and skill, not luck. The Supreme Court and several High Courts have reaffirmed this legal distinction over decades. Treating all games the same ignores this precedent,' it cautioned. EPWA said India has more than 450 million gamers. A ban would not only affect users, but also direct and indirect jobs, including shoutcasters, coaches, analysts, designers, streamers, video editors, community managers and developers. 'We are not opposed to regulation. We welcome it. But we urge the government to avoid a one-size-fits-all ban,' it added. The association cited examples of Indian players in gaming and esports such as Moin Ejaz, chess grandmaster Ankit Rajpara, international master Rathanvel V S, Tirth Mehta and Vikram 'Lungi' Kumar. On Tuesday, online skill gaming associations sought Home Minister Amit Shah's intervention against a proposed Bill seeking to ban all forms of real money games in India, warning that the move could force over 400 companies to shut down and put more than 200,000 jobs at risk. Industry bodies — the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the E-Gaming Federation (EGF) and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) — said a blanket prohibition on the platforms would 'strike a death knell' for the industry.
