Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduces Online Gaming Bill in Lok Sabha
The motive of the Bill is to promote and regulate the realm of online gaming, including e-sports, educational games, and social gaming.
The online gaming bill aims to appoint an authority for the coordinated policy support, strategic development, and regulatory oversight of the sector to curb the offering, operation, facilitation, advertisement, promotion, and participation in online money games.
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Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduces Online Gaming Bill in Lok Sabha
20 Aug 2025 | 1:00 PM
New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) Union Minister of Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw introduces 'The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025' amid ruckus in the Lok Sabha.
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Amit Shah to table 3 key Bills in Lok Sabha, including Union Territories Amendment Bill
20 Aug 2025 | 9:48 AM
New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to move three major bills in the Lok Sabha today including the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to further amend the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963.
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Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2025 gets Parliament's approval
19 Aug 2025 | 10:11 PM
New Delhi, Aug 19 (UNI) The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025, aimed at promoting exploration, mining, and processing of critical and rare minerals and liberalising the overall mining regulatory framework to attract investments, was passed by the Rajya Sabha today.
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LS adjourned for the day amid Opposition uproar over Bihar SIR
19 Aug 2025 | 7:19 PM
New Delhi, Aug 19 (UNI) Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after Opposition members today created a ruckus over Special Intensive revision (SIR) of electoral roll in Bihar.
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LS passes Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 by voice vote
19 Aug 2025 | 5:53 PM
New Delhi, Aug 19 (UNI) Amid ruckus by the Opposition members over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll in Bihar, the Lok Sabha today passed the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, voice vote, without discussion.
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The Hindu
13 minutes ago
- The Hindu
With real money gaming ban, govt. breaks off from self-regulation attempts
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (August 20, 2025), marks a major and sudden departure for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology from its earlier approach of nudging the real money gaming (RMG) industry to self-regulate. The industry, which counts large firms like Dream11, MPL and PokerBaazi, has largely maintained public silence, but has voiced concern in a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah. In 2023, the IT Ministry announced an amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to regulate RMG firms, by getting them to set up a government-registered self-regulatory body. However, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters on Wednesday the proposals were rife with conflicts of interest. In the meantime, complaints mounted from MPs and social organisations, Mr. Vaishnaw said, about the toll that RMG platforms were exerting on their constituents and families around the country. 'This was across party lines,' Mr. Vaishnaw said. 'In every State we were hearing these complaints.' Similar pan-partisan tensions preceded the decision by the GST Council in 2023, when a 28% tax was slapped on all deposits in RMG platforms at face value, as opposed to on the commission, as was the case earlier. The RMG industry has successfully stalled or fought off State-level bans, thanks to the courts' settled view that games of 'skill,' where a player's experience and smarts can influence the outcome far more than luck, do not constitute gambling. Since States are restricted by the Constitution on regulating games that are not legally recognised as gambling, the Union government holds the cards. And until Wednesday, it appeared that a light-touch regime would prevail. With this Bill, the government seeks to render the skill-chance binary moot, presenting the RMG industry with perhaps its final shot at legitimacy at the courts. If the courts do not side in the government's favour, the state would continue to have yet another policy tool at its disposal: the rumoured so-called sin tax GST rate of 40%, which would further strain the industry's ability to remain an enticing option for people who want to play to win money. 'Litigation is inevitable,' Meghna Bal, founder of the tech policy think tank Esya Centre said, 'as this law fails the test of proportionality under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.' Ms. Bal argued that the 2023 IT Rules amendment was a feasible way to regulate the sector. 'There is no rational connection between the law and the purpose it seeks to serve, as it only opens up the market further for illegal offshore platforms that are driving financial losses.' The Bill also provides explicit clarity to esports firms, which offer competition-based video games, with real life tournaments gaining increasing interest and viewership in India. An 'authority' would be established by the IT Ministry that would register esports firms as well as determine whether a given platform is an 'online money game' or not.
United News of India
27 minutes ago
- United News of India
India-Russia trade has grown five-fold to $68 bn, but major trade imbalance needs addressing: EAM
Moscow/New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today said that while bilateral trade in goods between India and Russia has grown more than five-fold, from USD 13 billion in 2021 to USD 68 billion in 2024-25, the major trade imbalance accompanying the growth needs to be addressed. Speaking at the 26th Session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological, and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), in Moscow, the EAM made some suggestions on how the two sides can improve their efficiency and deepen economic cooperation. The EAM remarked that the two sides are meeting in Moscow after 10 months since the last Session in November 2024 in New Delhi, which he said is perhaps the shortest interval between the two sessions that they have had. 'Over the last four years, our bilateral trade in goods has increased, as you have noted, more than five-fold from USD 13 billion in 2021 to USD 68 billion in 2024-25 and it continues to grow. However, a major trade imbalance has accompanied the growth; it has increased from USD 6.6 billion to USD 58.9 billion which is about nine times. So we need to address that urgently,' he said. Outlining some of the salient features of the agenda, he said. 'Addressing tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, removing bottlenecks in logistics, promoting connectivity through the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Northern Sea Route and the Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor, effecting payment mechanisms smoothly, timely finalization and execution of the Programme of Economic Cooperation till 2030, the early conclusion of the India-Eurasian Economic Union FTA, whose terms of reference were finalised today, and regular interaction between the businesses of the two countries – these are among the key elements.' He said these will not only help to address the imbalance and grow the trade, but also hasten the timely achievement of their revised trade target of USD 100 billion by 2030. EAM Jaishankar said that they are meeting in the backdrop of a complex geopolitical situation, and both their leaders remain closely and regularly engaged, and provide 'wise and practical guidance to our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership'. Among the suggestions he outlined were, that the various Working Groups and Sub Groups could take a more creative and innovative approach. He said the two sides could focus more on areas like the smoothness of settlements, of better logistics, of diversifying the trade basket, creating more joint ventures, moving on skilling and mobility. He suggested that the two sides should continuously diversify and expand their agenda through mutual consultation. 'This will help us to tap into full potential of our trade and investment ties. We should not get stuck on a beaten track. Doing more and doing differently should be our mantras.' He urged that they should set themselves some quantifiable targets and specific timelines so that they challenge themselves to achieve more. 'Each Working Group and each Sub Group could apply itself to setting of targets and see what we could achieve by the next session of the IRIGC-TEC.' He also suggested that they should have at least two inter-sessional meetings between the IRIGC Sessions, including a virtual midterm review with all the Co-Chairs like they did in 2023. He also suggested having a coordination mechanism between the Business Forum and the different Working Groups of the IRIGC, so that there is a two-way flow between people in the business world and people in the policy world. Addressing the Business Forum later, the EAM said that the two sides have 'concluded the Terms of Reference for the India-Eurasian Economic Union FTA. That will surely make a difference when concluded.' He said in a post on X: 'Co-chaired an extremely productive 26th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation IRIGC-TEC along with First DPM Denis Manturov of Russia today. 'We had detailed discussions on our cooperation in a wide-ranging arena including trade & economic sector, agriculture, energy, industries, skilling, mobility, education and culture. 'As we meet in the backdrop of a complex geopolitical situation, made the following suggestions to make the IRIGIC-TEC an even more efficient catalyst for deepening our economic cooperation: *Need for a creative and innovative approach. *Continuously diversify and expand our agenda through mutual consultations. *Set quantifiable targets and specific timelines so that we challenge ourselves to achieve more, perhaps even surpass what we set out to do. *Have at least two inter-sessional meetings between the IRIGC Sessions. And a virtual midterm review with all the Co-Chairs. Have a coordination mechanism between the Business Forum and the different Working Groups of the IRIGC-TEC, so that there is a two-way flow. 'As we prepare for the Annual Leaders Summit, confident that the outcomes of the IRIGC-TEC meeting today will further drive the time tested India-Russia partnership." UNI RN
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
CM meets Piyush Goyal to talk industrial devpt
Jaipur: Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma Wednesday met Union minister of commerce and industry in New Delhi to discuss the industrial development of Rajasthan. The CM informed the Union Minister about various policies implemented to strengthen the industrial sector in the state and also shared key decisions taken for the comprehensive development of industries. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They also discussed efforts made to increase industrial investment and generate employment in Rajasthan. Sharma informed Goyal about the continuous monitoring process of the Rs 35 lakh crore investment MoUs signed during the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit.
