Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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Government launches consultation on proposed regulation of basketball betting activities

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Having considered the proposal submitted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), views from the Betting and Lotteries Commission (BLC), and other related issues concerning illegal basketball gambling, the Government today (April 2) launched a consultation on the proposed regulation of basketball betting activities.
 
In recent years, quite some members of the public have expressed concerns about the problem of illegal basketball betting in Hong Kong. According to the latest assessment of the HKJC, the turnover of illegal basketball betting reached $70 billion to $90 billion in 2024. To combat illegal betting activities in an effective manner, the Government announced in the 2025-26 Budget that it will explore regulating basketball betting activities.
 
The Government proposes establishing a regulatory regime for basketball betting by modelling on the existing regime for football betting. Through amending the Betting Duty Ordinance (Cap. 108), the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs will be granted the power to issue a licence for basketball betting to the HKJC and to impose licensing conditions to minimise the negative impact of gambling on the public, especially on young people.
 
Mirroring the regulatory regime on football betting, major licensing conditions of the proposed regulation of basketball betting activities are as follows-
 
(1) A fixed duration shall be set on the licensing period;
(2) The Government shall impose restrictions on the number of bet types and classes of competitions;
(3) The licensed operator shall not accept bets on basketball matches involving Hong Kong teams and/or matches that take places in Hong Kong, to promote a betting-free and healthy environment for the sport in Hong Kong;
(4) The licensed operator shall not accept bets from juveniles;
(5) The licensed operator shall not accept credit betting; and
(6) The licensed operator shall display notices reminding the public of the seriousness of the problems caused by excessive gambling, and provide information on the services available for those with gambling disorder.
 
A spokesman for the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) said, “As a matter of policy, the Government does not encourage gambling. The Government adopts a multipronged strategy to address gambling-related issues, combining regulation of gambling activities through legislation, law enforcement against illegal gambling, public education and publicity on the harms of gambling addiction, and provision of counselling and support services to people in need.
 
     “There is, however, undeniably an actual and persistent demand for gambling in Hong Kong which, if left unregulated, would likely give rise to illegal gambling activities and associated social problems and other criminal activities. As such, the Government adopts a pragmatic approach by allowing only a limited number of authorised gambling outlets, which includes authorising the HKJC to conduct horse race betting, Mark Six Lottery and football betting in accordance with the Betting Duty Ordinance (Cap. 108).”
 
Please refer to the website of the HYAB (www.hyab.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/policy_responsibilities/consultation_paper.pdf) for the consultation document on the regulatory regime for basketball betting and details of submissions. Members of the public may submit their views by post to 13/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong (Attention: Home Affairs Division, Home and Youth Affairs Bureau) (date of the stamp chop will be taken as the submission date), by fax to 2591 6002 or by email to ha@hyab.gov.hk on or before May 2.
 
Furthermore, having consulted the BLC, the Government has decided to renew the licence for football betting of the HKJC Football Betting Limited for five years with effect from July 18, 2025. The conditions under the existing regime will remain largely the same, including the prohibition on accepting bets from juveniles, the prohibition on accepting credit betting, requirements to display warnings about the seriousness of excessive gambling and provide information on the services available for those with gambling disorder, and more. The licensing authority will continue to request the licensed operator not to accept bets on football matches involving Hong Kong teams and/or matches that take places in Hong Kong, to promote a betting-free and healthy environment for the sport in Hong Kong. Moreover, restrictions shall be imposed on the number of bet types and classes of competitions that the licensed operator may offer.

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Persons in custody at Lo Wu Correctional Institution attain good examination results (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Persons in custody at Lo Wu Correctional Institution attain good examination results ???
LWCI is a medium security institution for female adult convicted PICs, female adult remand PICs and female adult drug addicts undergoing treatment programmes under the Drug Addiction Treatment Centres Ordinance.
Issued at HKT 16:00

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LCQ6: Regulation of use of electronic screen products by children and adolescents

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

LCQ6: Regulation of use of electronic screen products by children and adolescents 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that obsessive use of mobile phones by infants and young children will bring them such harms as social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation and addiction, which are detrimental to the development of their physical movement, fine motor, language, cognitive and social skills. Earlier on, legislation was enacted in Australia to prohibit the use of social media platforms by children and adolescents under the age of‍ 16. The Guidelines (Trial) on Early Childhood Development Services issued by the National Health Commission has also pointed out that infants and young children aged 0 to 3 should not be exposed to any form of products with display screens. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether the Government will draw on the experience of our country, Australia and other regions to enact legislation restricting or prohibiting the use of electronic screen products by infants and young children aged 0 to 3;
 
(2) whether the Government will consider devising relevant guidelines on the use of computers and the Internet by primary and secondary school students and adolescents; and
 
(3) as there are views that parents should, through such means as parent-‍child exchanges, help their infants and young children acquire the abilities to engage in interpersonal exchanges, express emotions and consider other people’s feelings, whether the Government will consider promoting to society the importance for children to stay away from electronic screen products, as well as providing parents with consultation channels in order to help them establish a correct concept of family education?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Government attaches great importance to the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, and provides comprehensive health promotion and medical services by deploying substantial resources in education, public health and medical systems. In particular, we are concerned about the impact of excessive use of the Internet and electronic screen products on their physical and mental development. The Department of Health (DH) set up an Advisory Group on Health Effects of Use of Internet and Electronic Screen Products (Advisory Group) as early as 2013 comprising of members from the Education Bureau (EDB), the Social Welfare Department and relevant Colleges of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, etc, and published the Report of Advisory Group on Health Effects of Use of Internet and Electronic Screen Products in 2014 with recommendations for children, adolescents, parents and teachers on healthy use of the Internet and electronic screen products.
 
     In consultation with the EDB, the DH and the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission), the reply to the question raised by the Hon Luk Chung-hung is as follows:
 
(1) and (3) The Mainland and other regions in the world have provided guidelines and recommended the time for infants and young children to use electronic screen products, instead of restricting or prohibiting the use of electronic screen products by infants and young children by legislation. The Australian Government enacted legislation last year to prohibit the use of social media platforms by children and adolescents under the age of 16, but has not restricted or prohibited the use of electronic screen products. Regulating the use of electronic screen products by way of legislation requires consideration of a number of factors, including public acceptance, how to regulate, how to enforce and feasibility of enforcement. The Government does not have any relevant legislative plans at present.
 
     With reference to international guidelines, the DH updated the relevant health advice on the use of electronic screen products in 2018 and suggested that infants and young children aged below 2 should avoid exposure to electronic screen products, except for interactive video-chat under parents’ guidance; and that children aged between 2 and 5 should limit their daily screen time to within one hour, and that such screen activities should be interactive and educative, and should be carried out under the guidance of parents. These recommendations are similar to the guidelines of the Mainland, Singapore, the United States and Australia. The DH will continue to keep in view international experience and the local situation, and review the relevant recommendations in a timely manner.
 
     As a matter of fact, the period before the age of 6 is the prime time for the development of infants and young children. Parents should seize the time to carry out more parent-child communication activities to enhance healthy and all-round development of children, which is particularly important for their future development in learning, thinking and socialising. The DH provides information on childcare and parenting through the Maternal and Child Health Centres, including the abovementioned health advice on the use of electronic screen products. In addition, the DH also promotes relevant health advice on the use of electronic screen products through thematic webpages 
(2) Regarding the use of the Internet and electronic screen products by primary and secondary school students and adolescents, taken into account overseas scientific information and the local context, the Advisory Group recommended that primary school students aged between 6 and 12 should limit the recreational screen time to less than two hours a day, while secondary school students aged 12 to 18 should learn good time management and take regular breaks if prolonged screen time for study purpose is unavoidable. They should also remember the 20-20-20 rule: take a 20-second break to view something at least 20 feet away for every 20 minutes.
 
     The DH has been providing free annual health assessment for primary and secondary school students, including growth monitoring, vision and hearing assessments, to continuously monitor various health indicators of all students in Hong Kong. Students found to have health problems will be referred for further assessment and treatment. According to the latest statistics, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the overall time spent by primary and secondary school students on the Internet and electronic screen products for recreational purposes has increased by more than 10 percentage points as compared with that before the epidemic. The DH will hold a press conference this afternoon and release the “Student Health Service Annual Health Report for 2023/24 School Year”, summarising the key findings of the annual health assessment service provided to all primary and secondary school students in Hong Kong during the year, including the time in using the Internet and electronic screen products.
 
     As a matter of fact, home and school are both the major places where children learn and establish healthy habits. Collaboration between home and school is the key to helping children develop good use of the Internet and electronic screen products. The EDB provides the “Information Literacy for Hong Kong Students” Learning Framework for schools to strengthen the relevant information literacy learning elements in primary and secondary curricula with a view to fostering students’ ability and attitude to use information and communication technology effectively such that they are able to use the Internet and electronic devices properly and healthily.
 
     In the meantime, to cultivate healthy lifestyle among children and adolescents from an early age, the DH has launched the Whole School Health Programme (WSHP) to assist schools in systematically reviewing and formulating measures to promote physical activity, healthy eating, mental health and social well-being. It is announced in “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” that the WSHP will be extended to cover all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, and that health reports will be compiled for each participating school to recommend targeted school-based health promotion measures with a view to further promoting students’ physical and mental health. Besides, the PHC Commission is actively promoting the Life Course Preventive Care Plan and formulating a personalised preventive care plan to address the health needs of citizens (including school children) across different life stages, such as making recommendations on daily screen time based on the school children’s age groups.
 
     Thank you, President.
Issued at HKT 15:58

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Mining Tenement System

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 2:24PM by PIB Delhi

The comprehensive report on States Best Practices in Mining documents the best practices adopted by various States in mineral administration to promote peer learning among the States and contribute to the overall growth of the mining sector. The key recommendations made in the report, focusing on improving exploration efficiency, promoting sustainability, simplifying regulations, and enhancing community benefits, inter-alia include streamlining mining clearances and approvals, integration of exploration data with National Geoscience Data Repository, Star Rating for minor minerals, strengthening State Directorates of Mining and Geology for building technical capacity, operationalization of auctioned mineral blocks, adoption of Mining Surveillance System (MSS) and Mining Tenement System (MTS) for minor minerals to curb illegal mining, and creation of land banks to facilitate compensatory afforestation.

The main objectives of the newly launched Mining Tenement System (MTS) are to digitize & streamline the mining related processes, enhance transparency, facilitate better data management, enhance collaboration among stakeholders, provide a flexible system to accommodate future technology advancements and improve efficiency of mineral resource management.

By adopting best mining practices, small and medium scale mining operations in India can increase their competitiveness & operational efficiency, ensure sustainability, and hence, lead to overall growth of mining sector.

The 3rd National Mining Ministers’ Conference, held in January 2025, was attended by the Mining Ministers from mineral-rich States, industry leaders, and other key stakeholders. A major focus was on the National Critical Mineral Mission, which aims at securing long-term sustainable supply of critical minerals and strengthening India’s critical mineral value chains, encompassing all stages from mineral exploration, mining, processing and recycling. During the Conference, State Governments were encouraged to take proactive steps to promote exploration, mining, processing, Research & Development (R&D) in critical minerals, fast-track the operationalization of auctioned mines, integrate exploration data into the National Geoscience Data Repository and encourage industries to acquire and bring critical minerals from abroad to strengthen domestic supply. The Conference also marked the launch of auction of the fifth tranche of 15 critical mineral blocks across eight States including critical minerals like Graphite, Tungsten, Rare Earth Elements (REEs), and Nickel. These initiatives are intended to build and strengthen domestic supply chains and contribute to India’s long-term goal of achieving self-sufficiency in critical minerals.

This information was given by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

(Release ID: 2117706) Visitor Counter : 55

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Mining Leases Issued in 5th And 6th Schedule Areas

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 2:23PM by PIB Delhi

State-wise total number of Mining Leases for the major minerals in States included under the 5th and 6th Schedule areas of the country alongwith total areas and number of operational mines is given at Annexure I.  As per the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957 and the rules framed thereunder, the State Governments are empowered to grant mineral concessions for the minerals located within their respective jurisdiction and to collect the revenue generated there upon. The revenue from the mining leases accrues to the State Governments.

The subject matter of rehabilitation of displaced people is in the purview of State Governments.

During the last 5 years (2020-21 onwards) 7 leases have been granted in the Scheduled areas for the State of Madhya Pradesh covering total area of 107 hectares. For Gujarat, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, no mining lease has been granted in the past 5 years in Scheduled areas. As per the information received from the State Government of Madhya Pradesh, above 7 leases have been granted after obtaining all requisite permissions.

Annexure I

 

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO AT PART ‘A’ & ‘B’ IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5224 REGARDING ‘MINING LEASES ISSUED IN 5TH AND 6TH SCHEDULE AREAS’.

State-wise total number of Mining Leases for the major minerals, in in States included under the 5th and 6th Schedule areas of the country with total area and number of operational mines.

State

Total Number of Leases

Sum of Total Lease Area (in Ha.)

Number of Operational/ Working Leases

Andhra Pradesh

27

657

10

Assam

6

859

4

Chhattisgarh

78

16146

38

Gujarat

3

1108

2

Jharkhand

31

4548

4

Madhya Pradesh

153

6318

77

Maharashtra

50

7102

33

Meghalaya

23

825

15

Odisha

127

40023

79

Rajasthan

17

6715

14

Telangana

15

1835

6

Grand Total

530

86136

282

 

This information was given by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

(Release ID: 2117705) Visitor Counter : 52

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High-Speed Internet Connectivity in all Blocks

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 2:33PM by PIB Delhi

Government is implementing various schemes under Digital Bharat Nidhi for expansion of internet based telecom connectivity through installation of 4G mobile towers in the rural and remote areas of the country including 4G saturation project which aim to provide coverage in each village of the country. In addition, BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity such as Wi-Fi Hotspots, Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections etc. to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages on demand basis. As of February 2025, 2,14,323 GPs have been made service ready under BharatNet project in the country.

As of December 2024, out of 6,44,131 villages in country (village data as per Registrar General of India), around 6,25,853 villages are covered with mobile connectivity including 6,18,968 villages having 4G mobile coverage.

This information was given by Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications & Rural Development, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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Samrat/Allen:

(Release ID: 2117718) Visitor Counter : 40

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Fake calls and sms scams

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 2:32PM by PIB Delhi

Matters relating to Cyber Crime are under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as per allocation of the business rules. Department of Telecommunications (DoT) undertakes efforts to prevent misuse of telecom resources for cyber frauds. Further, ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. MHA has established the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (14C) as an attached office to provide a framework and eco-system for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to deal with cyber-crimes. MHA has also launched the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal- NCRP (https://cybercrime.gov.in) to enable public to report all type of cybercrimes. As per I4C, total number of complaints on NCRP and amount lost were 19.18 lakh and 22811.95 crore respectively in 2024. Further, DoT and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have devised a system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers that appear to be originating from within India. These calls appeared to be originating within India but were being made by the cyber-criminals from abroad by spoofing the Calling Line Identity (CLI). 

DoT actively engages with citizens to raise awareness about telecom-related frauds & scams, to encourage the use of the Sanchar Saathi App/portal, a citizen centric initiative for accessing information, reporting suspected fraud communications, and staying updated on the latest telecom safety measures.  Engagement with citizens is through robust social media campaigns, regular press releases, SMS campaigns and collaboration with multiple stakeholders like Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs)/Banks/TSPs/Student Volunteers etc.

DoT has developed an online secure Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) for sharing of information related to misuse of telecom resources among the stakeholders for prevention of misuse of telecom resources for cyber-crime and financial frauds. About 560 organizations have been onboarded on DIP that include central security agencies, 35 State Police, TSPs, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) etc.  The system to identify and block incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian mobile numbers was commissioned on 17.10.2024 and it has shown significant results blocking 1.35 crore calls in 24 hours of its launch, after being identified as spoofed. As on 03.03.2025, calls identified as spoofed and blocked were only 4 lakh so the system has resulted in reduction of almost 97% incoming spoofed calls with Indian CLI.

This information was given by Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications & Rural Development, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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Samrat/Allen:

(Release ID: 2117716) Visitor Counter : 45

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Tourism Development in NER

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 2:32PM by PIB Delhi

Development and promotion of tourism sector, is undertaken by the respective State Governments/Union Territory Administrations. Ministry of Tourism complements the efforts of States/Union Territory Administrations including North Eastern States in promotion of Tourism. Ministry of Tourism under the schemes of ‘Swadesh Darshan’, ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’, ‘Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development’ provides financial assistance to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations/Central Agencies for the development of tourism related infrastructure in the country including North Eastern Region. Ministry of Tourism also promotes various tourist destinations of North Eastern Region through various initiatives including promotional events, assistance to State Governments, stakeholders for organizing fairs and festivals, participation in exhibitions, website and social media. The Ministry has been organizing International Tourism Mart (ITM) in the North Eastern Region to showcase the tourism potential of North Eastern States of India. The latest edition of ITM was held in Kaziranga, Assam from 26th to 29th November, 2024. Through its Central Institutes of Hotel Management (CIHMs) at Guwahati and Shillong, Ministry of Tourism imparts professional education and training in the field of hospitality to create a pool of manpower sufficient to meet the needs of the tourism and hospitality industry. For projects sanctioned by Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism encourages the State Governments/UT Administrations for due consultation with local communities during preparation of projects. Ministry of Tourism under its scheme Capacity Building for Service Providers (CBSP) has undertaken various skill development programs to provide education, training and certification to the tourism service providers covering different level of Hospitality sector.

Further, promotion of tourism in the North Eastern Region is one of the focus sectors of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER). MDoNER under its scheme viz. North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS), Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE), Schemes of North Eastern Council etc. has sanctioned various infrastructure projects, which also support the tourism sector in North Eastern Region.

The details of Domestic Tourist Visits (DTVs) and Foreign Tourist Visits (FTVs) to North Eastern States during 2023 are given below:

S. No.

States

2023

DTVs

FTVs
  1.  

Arunachal Pradesh

10,40,601

4,496
  1.  

Assam

76,12,720

23,818
  1.  

Manipur

57,701

3,668
  1.  

Meghalaya

13,71,674

19,973
  1.  

Mizoram

2,09,087

3,754
  1.  

Nagaland

99,720

4,725
  1.  

Sikkim

13,21,169

93,908
  1.  

Tripura

3,66,104

66,708

 

Total

1,20,78,776

2,21,050

This information was given by the Minister of State of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Dr. Sukanta Majumdar in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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Samrat/Allen

(Release ID: 2117717) Visitor Counter : 32

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Statistical training needs Assessment Survey Report

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 2:30PM by PIB Delhi

The Statistical Training Needs Assessment (STA) Survey Report systematically evaluates the existing training ecosystem and strategic planning for capacity building. The report highlights not only the existing strengths but also the areas where there are critical skill gaps, particularly in emerging areas. It prioritizes the required skills, examines learning styles and cultural contexts. The findings help to bridge skill gaps and align learning interventions with national priorities.

 The National Statistical Systems Training Academy (NSSTA) organizes training programmes in the field of Official Statistics and related disciplines covering the topics inter alia advanced technologies like AI, Big data analytics and machine learning. NSSTA also leverages the integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) Karmayogi platform for enhancing the competencies including those in advance technologies.

 The NSSTA also organizes talks, webinars, seminars, workshops and training programmes to share knowledge and global best practices in the field of Official Statistics and related disciplines.

In the recent National Sample Survey (NSS) rounds, for selected surveys, provision has been made in the sampling design by considering district as ‘Basic Stratum’, so that district level estimates can be generated by the States participating in the surveys.

This information was given by Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning and Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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Samrat/Allen:

(Release ID: 2117714) Visitor Counter : 43

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Road and Railways Projects to Boost Economy of NER

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 2:30PM by PIB Delhi

The details of the Railway and Road Infrastructure projects in the North Eastern Region (NER) during the last five years from 2019-20 to 2023-24 is as under:

SN

Name of Scheme

No. of Projects

Length (in Kms)

Sanctioned Cost (in ₹crore)

1

Railway Line Constructed by Ministry of Railways

18

1,368

74,972

2

National Highways under Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways

–

6,806

77,654

3

PMGSY under Ministry of Rural Development

6,793

25,011

19,448.89

4

Roads under Ministry of DoNER

75

1255

4668

The railway projects are sanctioned Zonal Railway wise and not State-wise as the railway projects may span across state boundaries. However, the funds spent in respect of the State of Tripura by the MoRT&H, MoRD and MDoNER during the last five years from 2019-20 to 2023-24 for road projects are ₹4,988 crore, ₹606.71 crore and ₹347.82 crore respectively.  

The improved road and railway infrastructure in the NER has led to increase in access to markets, tourism, cross-border trade, skill generation, creation of construction jobs, lower logistics costs, faster movement of man and materials, attracting private investments, urban development etc.

This information was given by the Minister of State of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Dr. Sukanta Majumdar in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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Samrat/Allen

(Release ID: 2117715) Visitor Counter : 32