A paper has recently published in the US has found that Integrated farming with intercropping increases food production while reducing environmental footprint.
What is the finding?
This work found that:
Relay planting enhances yield
Within-field rotation or strip rotation allowing strips for planting other plants (such as grass, fruits) besides the major crop was more fruitful
Soil munching that is, available means such as crop straw, in addition to the major crop such as wheat or rice, and
No-tillor reduced tillage, which increases the annual crop yield up by 15.6% to 49.9%, and decreasing the environmental footprint by 17.3%, compared with traditional monoculture cropping
Various terms mentioned
[A] Relay planting
Relay planting means the planting of different crops in the same plot, one right after another, in the same season.
Examples of such relay cropping would be planting rice (or wheat), cauliflower, onion, and summer gourd (or potato onion, lady’s fingers and maize), in the same season.
Benefits: It is less risk since you do not have to depend on one crop alone. It also means better distribution of labour, insects spread less, and any legumes actually add nitrogen to the soil.
[B] Strip cropping
Strip cropping has been used in the U.S. (where the fields are larger than those in India), where they grow wheat, along with corn and soybean, in the same farm in an alternative manner.
However, this needs large lands. The land is divided into strips, and strips of grass are left to grow between the crops.
Benefits: Planting of trees to create shelters has helped in stabilising the desert in Western India.
[C] Soil mulching and no-till
Soil mulching requires keeping all bare soil covered with straw, leaves, and the like, even when the land is in use.
Benefits: Erosion is curtailed, moisture retained, and beneficial organisms, such as earthworms, kept in place. The same set of benefits are also offered by not tilling the soil.
Significance of the findings
This research has led to the conclusion that small farm holders can grow more food and have reduced environmental footprint.
Current statistics reveal that our country has a significant population of small farmers, many owning less than 2 hectares of land.
About 70% of its rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood, with 82% of farmers being small and marginal.
“When the results were out and I knew I finally made it, I sat down and cherished all the 8 years of preparation. For me, they are the best years of my life, regardless I cleared the exam or not. The civil services exam is worth your time, efforts and sacrifices even if there is a 1% chance of clearing it!”
So many aspirants in Shahansha’s position would have given up by now. They will not wait until all the attempts got exhausted. They would have already decided UPSC is not for them. But Shahansha is among the 1% who wanted to show up sincerely for every attempt given to him. And that’s why he cleared an exam where the probability of failure is 99%.
UPSC or Job? Better still, UPSC and Job!
Shahansha had a demanding job as an Indian Railway Protection Force Officer, he was a son and a husband as well. Yet, he wouldn’t have had it any other way. “If I was preparing for this exam with no job, with no family and friends to support me, then I don’t think I would have been successful.”, he says. According to him, stability in life is essential to deal with the psychological and emotional stress of the exam.
Don’t miss the chance to interact with him, get answers to all your questions and discover solutions to the issues bothering you! This webinar is free for all aspirants to attend.
Why Attend this Webinar?
“You are your own best friend and enemy”, says Shahansha as he believes negativity feeds on more negativity.
More than IQ, one requires EQ (Emotional Intelligence) to clear this exam. UPSC is looking for just above-average marks in all the subjects. But, it requires officers who don’t have excuses or run away from solving people’s issues. The more mentally adept you are, the more happy UPSC will be to select you. So, work on controlling your emotional impulses early on.
Shahansha will teach how to inculcate patience, perseverance and study through the stress. For anyone struggling in this area, this webinar is going to be useful.
1. Despite qualifying for IAS why did Shahansha choose IPS?
2. Why is it important to unwind when you’re feeling low? Importance of hobbies and friends.
3. The brighter side of his failures.How did Shahansha improve with every attempt?
4. Shahansha’s Prelims and Mains Strategy.How did he divide his time into before-work and after-work slots?
5. Six years of wrong optional versus one year of right optional — How did it make the difference for him in Mains?
6. General Do’s and Don’ts while preparing. What are the mistakes of his previous attempts he avoided?
All aspirants are encouraged to participate in the Q&A Session by Shahansha. Learn from your doubts, learn from others’ doubts and learn from Shahansha’s answers.
This Ask me Anything session is free for all aspirants to attend but is perfect for anyone looking for a refreshing break from their grueling studies. Only limited slots are available, so register ASAP.
Date: 31 October, 2021
Time: 3 P.M.
About Shahansha
Son of a shopkeeper father and school teacher mother, Shahansha was a professional athlete, trained by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). He cleared prelims in all his seven attempts and even reached the interview round thrice. He gave multiple government exams and worked as the Assistant Commander in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Indian Railway Protection Officer.
“When the results were out and I knew I finally made it, I sat down and cherished all the 8 years of preparation. For me, they are the best years of my life, regardless I cleared the exam or not. The civil services exam is worth your time, efforts and sacrifices even if there is a 1% chance of clearing it!”
So many aspirants in Shahansha’s position would have given up by now. They will not wait until all the attempts got exhausted. They would have already decided UPSC is not for them. But Shahansha is among the 1% who wanted to show up sincerely for every attempt given to him. And that’s why he cleared an exam where the probability of failure is 99%.
UPSC or Job? Better still, UPSC and Job!
Shahansha had a demanding job as an Indian Railway Protection Force Officer, he was a son and a husband as well. Yet, he wouldn’t have had it any other way. “If I was preparing for this exam with no job, with no family and friends to support me, then I don’t think I would have been successful.”, he says. According to him, stability in life is essential to deal with the psychological and emotional stress of the exam.
Don’t miss the chance to interact with him, get answers to all your questions and discover solutions to the issues bothering you! This webinar is free for all aspirants to attend.
Why Attend this Webinar?
“You are your own best friend and enemy”, says Shahansha as he believes negativity feeds on more negativity.
More than IQ, one requires EQ (Emotional Intelligence) to clear this exam. UPSC is looking for just above-average marks in all the subjects. But, it requires officers who don’t have excuses or run away from solving people’s issues. The more mentally adept you are, the more happy UPSC will be to select you. So, work on controlling your emotional impulses early on.
Shahansha will teach how to inculcate patience, perseverance and study through the stress. For anyone struggling in this area, this webinar is going to be useful.
1. Despite qualifying for IAS why did Shahansha choose IPS?
2. Why is it important to unwind when you’re feeling low? Importance of hobbies and friends.
3. The brighter side of his failures.How did Shahansha improve with every attempt?
4. Shahansha’s Prelims and Mains Strategy.How did he divide his time into before-work and after-work slots?
5. Six years of wrong optional versus one year of right optional — How did it make the difference for him in Mains?
6. General Do’s and Don’ts while preparing. What are the mistakes of his previous attempts he avoided?
All aspirants are encouraged to participate in the Q&A Session by Shahansha. Learn from your doubts, learn from others’ doubts and learn from Shahansha’s answers.
This Ask me Anything session is free for all aspirants to attend but is perfect for anyone looking for a refreshing break from their grueling studies. Only limited slots are available, so register ASAP.
Date: 31 October, 2021
Time: 3 P.M.
About Shahansha
Son of a shopkeeper father and school teacher mother, Shahansha was a professional athlete, trained by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). He cleared prelims in all his seven attempts and even reached the interview round thrice. He gave multiple government exams and worked as the Assistant Commander in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Indian Railway Protection Officer.
“When the results were out and I knew I finally made it, I sat down and cherished all the 8 years of preparation. For me, they are the best years of my life, regardless I cleared the exam or not. The civil services exam is worth your time, efforts and sacrifices even if there is a 1% chance of clearing it!”
So many aspirants in Shahansha’s position would have given up by now. They will not wait until all the attempts got exhausted. They would have already decided UPSC is not for them. But Shahansha is among the 1% who wanted to show up sincerely for every attempt given to him. And that’s why he cleared an exam where the probability of failure is 99%.
UPSC or Job? Better still, UPSC and Job!
Shahansha had a demanding job as an Indian Railway Protection Force Officer, he was a son and a husband as well. Yet, he wouldn’t have had it any other way. “If I was preparing for this exam with no job, with no family and friends to support me, then I don’t think I would have been successful.”, he says. According to him, stability in life is essential to deal with the psychological and emotional stress of the exam.
Don’t miss the chance to interact with him, get answers to all your questions and discover solutions to the issues bothering you! This webinar is free for all aspirants to attend.
Why Attend this Webinar?
“You are your own best friend and enemy”, says Shahansha as he believes negativity feeds on more negativity.
More than IQ, one requires EQ (Emotional Intelligence) to clear this exam. UPSC is looking for just above-average marks in all the subjects. But, it requires officers who don’t have excuses or run away from solving people’s issues. The more mentally adept you are, the more happy UPSC will be to select you. So, work on controlling your emotional impulses early on.
Shahansha will teach how to inculcate patience, perseverance and study through the stress. For anyone struggling in this area, this webinar is going to be useful.
1. Despite qualifying for IAS why did Shahansha choose IPS?
2. Why is it important to unwind when you’re feeling low? Importance of hobbies and friends.
3. The brighter side of his failures.How did Shahansha improve with every attempt?
4. Shahansha’s Prelims and Mains Strategy.How did he divide his time into before-work and after-work slots?
5. Six years of wrong optional versus one year of right optional — How did it make the difference for him in Mains?
6. General Do’s and Don’ts while preparing. What are the mistakes of his previous attempts he avoided?
All aspirants are encouraged to participate in the Q&A Session by Shahansha. Learn from your doubts, learn from others’ doubts and learn from Shahansha’s answers.
This Ask me Anything session is free for all aspirants to attend but is perfect for anyone looking for a refreshing break from their grueling studies. Only limited slots are available, so register ASAP.
Date: 31 October, 2021
Time: 3 P.M.
About Shahansha
Son of a shopkeeper father and school teacher mother, Shahansha was a professional athlete, trained by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). He cleared prelims in all his seven attempts and even reached the interview round thrice. He gave multiple government exams and worked as the Assistant Commander in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Indian Railway Protection Officer.
The sharp turns away from democracy seen recently in the country must jolt citizens into stopping the descent.
Equality in democracy
The central edifice of a democracy, or what makes it a revolutionary idea, is equality, or that it accords an equal status to all its people.
The promise of the far-sighted Indian Constitution was of equal rights to all.
If any benefit was accorded to smaller groups, religious or linguistic minorities or Dalits, it was in order to achieve substantive equality.
Faith as a differentiator
The basis of citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, allowing for non-Muslims from three countries to fast-track their citizenship, was the most serious push to introduce religion into citizenship.
Impact on marital choice: In terms of marital choices, laws in the country in States where the national ruling party holds sway have drawn harsh attention on inter-faith couples.
The Gujarat law criminalising inter-faith marriages has been called out by the Gujarat High Court.
But the ordinance introduced in Uttar Pradesh (Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020) is now a law.
Food has been criminalised: Stringent laws on cattle end up penalising those who have a certain diet, namely beef. The mood in the country created and abetted by people close to the powers that be, has led to lynchings.
State governments and the Union government have mostly ignored the Supreme Court’s directions in 2018 to set up fast track courts, advice to take steps to stop hate messages on social media, or compensation to victims, or bringing in an anti-mob lynching law.
Circumscribe where on can reside: The Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act, popularly known as the Disturbed Areas Act, circumscribes where one can reside.
The act was brought in an atmosphere where there was communal rioting and forced displacement, to ostensibly protect communities from distress sales, the twist accorded to it over the years firmly makes the forced separation of communities. evident.
Hostile environment
Scholars like Thomas Blom Hansen and Paul Brass have unhesitatingly pointed to the role of violence that has historically been acceptable in Indian society and politics.
Scholars like Christophe Jaffrelot have pointed out that there will not be a seamless transition to an “ethnic democracy”.
The Indian nation is one formed on the promise of shared and participatory kinship, which recognised Indian nationalism as being distinct from the faith you practised at home.
Prioritising any one identity will have disastrous consequences and history provides enough evidence of this.
Conclusion
The mobs read together with actions of the Union government and that of State governments mark a sharp turn away from the democracy India claims it is. That must jolt us into recognising the distance we have already travelled down the wrong path. That may be the first step to try to wrest the descent into the darkness of an apartheid state.
“When the results were out and I knew I finally made it, I sat down and cherished all the 8 years of preparation. For me, they are the best years of my life, regardless I cleared the exam or not. The civil services exam is worth your time, efforts and sacrifices even if there is a 1% chance of clearing it!”
So many aspirants in Shahansha’s position would have given up by now. They will not wait until all the attempts got exhausted. They would have already decided UPSC is not for them. But Shahansha is among the 1% who wanted to show up sincerely for every attempt given to him. And that’s why he cleared an exam where the probability of failure is 99%.
UPSC or Job? Better still, UPSC and Job!
Shahansha had a demanding job as an Indian Railway Protection Force Officer, he was a son and a husband as well. Yet, he wouldn’t have had it any other way. “If I was preparing for this exam with no job, with no family and friends to support me, then I don’t think I would have been successful.”, he says. According to him, stability in life is essential to deal with the psychological and emotional stress of the exam.
Don’t miss the chance to interact with him, get answers to all your questions and discover solutions to the issues bothering you! This webinar is free for all aspirants to attend.
Why Attend this Webinar?
“You are your own best friend and enemy”, says Shahansha as he believes negativity feeds on more negativity.
More than IQ, one requires EQ (Emotional Intelligence) to clear this exam. UPSC is looking for just above-average marks in all the subjects. But, it requires officers who don’t have excuses or run away from solving people’s issues. The more mentally adept you are, the more happy UPSC will be to select you. So, work on controlling your emotional impulses early on.
Shahansha will teach how to inculcate patience, perseverance and study through the stress. For anyone struggling in this area, this webinar is going to be useful.
1. Despite qualifying for IAS why did Shahansha choose IPS?
2. Why is it important to unwind when you’re feeling low? Importance of hobbies and friends.
3. The brighter side of his failures.How did Shahansha improve with every attempt?
4. Shahansha’s Prelims and Mains Strategy.How did he divide his time into before-work and after-work slots?
5. Six years of wrong optional versus one year of right optional — How did it make the difference for him in Mains?
6. General Do’s and Don’ts while preparing. What are the mistakes of his previous attempts he avoided?
All aspirants are encouraged to participate in the Q&A Session by Shahansha. Learn from your doubts, learn from others’ doubts and learn from Shahansha’s answers.
This Ask me Anything session is free for all aspirants to attend but is perfect for anyone looking for a refreshing break from their grueling studies. Only limited slots are available, so register ASAP.
Date: 31 October, 2021
Time: 3 P.M.
About Shahansha
Son of a shopkeeper father and school teacher mother, Shahansha was a professional athlete, trained by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). He cleared prelims in all his seven attempts and even reached the interview round thrice. He gave multiple government exams and worked as the Assistant Commander in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Indian Railway Protection Officer.
Despite the push for the adoption of digital technologies, large segments of Indians still can’t access or haven’t learned to trust digital artefacts.
Issue of exclusion
Recognising the power of technology to drive inclusion at a massive scale, the state is doubling down on technology to reach more citizens and serve them better.
However, often the paradigm of technology for such services is built around the “elite” citizen, who is comfortable with technology.
Often, this imagined citizen is male, urban, upper class.
Large segments of Indians still can’t access or haven’t learned to trust digital artefacts.
Many among marginalised groups struggle to access digital civic platforms, and instead rely on trusted human intermediaries.
Suggestions to make digital space truly public
1) Design with the citizen
Encouraging human-centric design, and mandating user-assessments prior to roll out of GovTech platforms should be a key priority.
This is a shift from the default “build first and then disseminate” approach.
For example, formative research and human-centric design was informative in the creation of the first UPI payments app, BHIM.
BHIM’s simple interface and onboarding, use of relatable iconography and multi-language capabilities played an important role in early adoption of UPI among non “digital natives”.
Similarly, as the “Human Account” project demonstrated, it is possible to start with users in designing pro-poor fintech products, like the “Postman Savings” product which India Post Payments Bank designed for the rural poor.
2) Harness trusted human interface to serve those who are not comfortable with technology
Local intermediaries, such as formal and informal community leaders and civil society organisations, can play a key role in bridging the digital divide.
Working with existing networks (for example ASHAs) or carefully setting them up (such as the Andhra Pradesh Ward Secretariat programme), where pre-existing trust, community knowledge, and embeddedness can play a significant role, should be prioritised.
3) Institutionalise an anchor entity that brings together innovators, policy makers and researchers
Such an entity will help to push the frontier on citizen-centricity in GovTech.
Such a platform — like the Citizen Lab in Denmark — can play a role in generating formative research.
Embedding this research in practice by partnering with the government as well as market innovators, and working with civil society organisations to enhance access to GovTech.
Conclusion
As India makes rapid strides in its digitalisation journey, it is timely to invoke Gandhiji’s talisman and ensure that GovTech can serve its highest and greatest purpose, that is, serving those who are last in line.
Civil Services Examination result 2020 was released on 24th September 2021. Civilsdaily is proud to announce its toppers. In 2020, we took 50 Students for Mains exclusive one-to-one mentorship program and 80% got interview calls with 50% making it to the final list.
Even Toppers of Civil services examination 2020 were impressed by the quality of questions from the Mains Test and Mentorship provided:
A personal note by Karishma Nair, AIR 14 (2020)
Quora Review by Pranav Vijayvergiya, AIR 65 (2020)
A talk with Vaibhav Rawat, AIR 25 (2020)A talk by P Srija, AIR 20(2020)Pooja Gupta AIR 42(2020)Ponmani N AIR 148(2020)
This year Mains Test Series will be more Quality driven and as per the pattern of the UPSC examination. The level of Questions will be Medium to Hard level. Also, we have made sure to bring more variety in program options so, that you can choose them as per your level of preparation and comfort.
Civilsdaily is proud to announce the start of its Mains program for the UPSC examination 2021. Last year, our mains test series was able to match the themes of 90% of questions from the UPSC examination.
It happens under a team of experienced Civilsdaily faculty. Questions framed are from the most important UPSC relevant themes and papers are based on the latest pattern of UPSC.
2. One-to-One Discussion on checked copy
We believe in personalized individual attention. This is the biggest reason why you should join our TS. A one-to-one discussion with your Mentor will not only highlight your weaknesses but will also help in tracking your improvements over the subsequent tests.
3. Answer Checking
Our evaluation focuses on multiple dimensions and parameters like structure, flow, presentation, contextuality, relevance to question, analytical excellence, and cross-domain inter-linkages than simply on superficial, memory-based lapses.
4. Model Answers
More than just simply providing information, our model answers cover all the aspects of a question and provide enriching points to the student.
CD Innovation – Color Coding – Red marking represents essential points to be written in answers. Green marking represents innovative points that can get you extra marks.
MAINS MANTHAN 2021
Here is the list of Mains programs available:
Mains Guidance Plus
Mains Guidance Plus is a wholesome package for UPSC Aspirants. The aim behind this program is not just to provide students with Model tests, but to cover multiple needs of students. From Mentorship to current affairs, the program has all the necessary elements needed for mains 2021.
PROGRAM INCLUSION:
Sectional Tests: 8 sectional tests to cover your static portions in detail. The scope will spread over your core subjects like History, economics, and polity, etc.
Full-length tests: 12 FLTs to help you practice for the final Mains examination. These FLTs are patterned on UPSC Examination and have medium to high-quality questions. They will surely boost your preparation and test your analytical skills.
One on One Mentorship: After every test, a call with a mentor will be arranged and you can clear your doubts on the paper. This is important as with your mentor you can discuss your weakness and strategize for the next paper.
Quality Enrichment Program Notes: QEP is an intensive and holistic program for IAS Mains 2021 GS papers. We aim to cover up to 250 most relevant issues with a 360-degree view, covering all dimensions of each and every topic. Not only you’ll learn and analyze these issues but will also understand how to utilize them via Daily Answer Writing and Mains Test Series.
Mains Super 50 is a program apt for those aspirants whose focus lies on clearing Mains 2021. Those Students who have been practicing some answer writing and want to directly start with FLTs should opt for this. This program also has complete mentorship support.
PROGRAM INCLUSION:
Full-length tests: 12 FLTs to help you practice for the final Mains examination. These FLTs are patterned on UPSC Examination and have medium to high-quality questions. They will surely boost your preparation and test your analytical skills.
One on One Mentorship: After every test, a call with a mentor will be arranged and you can clear your doubts on the paper. This is important as with your mentor you can discuss your weakness and strategize for the next paper.
Weekly Zoom Call with Sukanya Ma’am: These calls will focus on paper discussion and students can as well raise their queries.
Mentorship is a forte of Civilsdaily and once you experience it, you will believe it. Mains Guidance Mini is a program focused on mentorship-based improvement. You can appear in any Test series, we will provide you the mentorship on that paper.
PROGRAM INCLUSION:
10 Test Discussion: You can discuss 10 FLTs in which you have appeared recently. These tests can be from any institute. Just mail to us and we will provide you the guidance.
One on One Mentorship: After submitting a test, a call with a mentor will be arranged and you can clear your doubts on the paper. This is important as with your mentor you can discuss your weakness and strategize for the next paper.
The department for the promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) in the ministry of commerce and industry is building an open network for digital commerce (ONDC), designed to curb digital monopolies and standardize the onboarding of retailers on e-commerce sites.
What does the ONDC aim to achieve?
The Unified Payment Interface (UPI) has disrupted the digital payments domain. ONDC seeks to achieve something similar for e-commerce.
It aims to “democratize” digital commerce, moving it away from platform-centric models like Amazon and Flipkart to an open network.
ONDC may enable more sellers to be digitally visible. The transactions will be executed through an open network.
The system may empower merchants and consumers.
It will eventually touch every business, from retail goods and food to mobility.
How would ONDC work?
The ONDC is still work in progress and the details are not public.
But what we know so far is the network may make it easier for a small retailer to be discovered.
A boon for retailers
Once a retailer lists its products or services using the ONDC’s open protocol, the business can be discovered by consumers on e-commerce platforms that follow the same protocol.
A consumer searching for the product can see the location of the seller and opt to buy from the neighbourhood shop that can deliver faster compared to an e-commerce company.
This may promote hyperlocal delivery of goods such as groceries, directly from sellers to consumers.
What are the next steps?
A private sector-led non-profit unit will be set up to fast-track its roll-out.
It is expected to provide a startup mindset enabled by a management with a futuristic vision, deep understanding of commerce and comfort with cutting edge technology.
A non-profit company structure removes any incentive for profit maxi-mization,
It would keep focus on ethical and responsible behaviour while providing for trust, rigorous norms of governance, accountability and transparency.
Last month, the Karnataka legislature passed a legislation to amend the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, making all forms of gambling, including online, a cognisable and non-bailable offence.
Gambling Law
The Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act, 2021 was notified and came into force.
It is aimed for broadening the scope of gambling beyond what has been defined by law.
It was passed despite similar laws introduced in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana having faced legal challenges.
What forms of gambling does the new law cover?
The amended law covers all forms of wagering or betting “in connection with any game of chance” with the exception of horse racing and lotteries.
It also puts betting on the skills of others in the category of gambling.
It provides an exception only to any pure game of skill and not to “wagering by persons taking part in such game of skill”.
Penalties prescribed
It enhances maximum punishment for owners of gambling centres from one year to three years of imprisonment and fines from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
The minimum punishment proposed is six months instead of the current one month and the fine is Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 500.
Implications of the law
Since the new law came into effect, several online gaming firms have geo-locked their apps and sites in Karnataka to prevent attracting police action if customers access the sites.
Legal issues raised by the amended laws
One of the primary grounds on which the new gaming laws in these states has been challenged is:
Games of skill: This been clubbed along with games of chance in the definition of gaming, if the games of skill are played for prizes or bets.
Violation of FR: Gaming companies have argued — successfully that competitive games of skill are business activities protected under Article 19 (1) (g) of the Constitution.
Other examples: Rummy and horse racing have been classified by the courts as games of skill that do not come under the purview of gaming laws.
Competence of the state: It has been argued that states do not have “legislative competence” to prohibit games of skill and that only games of chance can be regulated for gambling and betting.
Why has Karnataka amended the law?
Ban on online gambling: The statement of objects and reasons justify that the new law is needed to make gambling a cognisable and non-bailable offence (gambling in public streets remains cognisable and bailable).
More power to Police: Other reasons cited is that police cannot raid gambling dens without a formal written order from a magistrate, since gambling is a non-cognisable and bailable offence.
Public demands for ban: Recent public interest litigations seeking a ban on online gaming and betting, too, have been a trigger for the amendments.
Illicit use of cyber-space: The new law has also been introduced to include the use of cyberspace as defined in the IT Act 2000 to curb the menace of gaming through internet.
Will these amendments stand the test of law?
As mentioned, a similar law in Tamil Nadu was struck down by the Madras High Court as being ultra vires after it was challenged by online gaming firms.
The court ruled that- Games and sporting activities in the physical form cannot be equated with games conducted in virtual mode or in cyberspace.
However, when it comes to card games or board games such as chess or Scrabble, there is no distinction between the skill involved in the physical form of the activity or in the virtual form.
The HC said both rummy and poker are games of skill.
