Karnataka HC to hear on October 27 petitions challenging ban on online gaming
The Hindu
Online All India Gaming Federation and individual online gaming operators have moved court against changes made to Police Act
The Karnataka High Court will hear on October 27 a batch of petitions filed by All India Gaming Federation and individual online gaming operators questioning the legality of several provisions of the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act, 2021, which prohibits and criminalises the playing of games of skill including online games by risking money or otherwise.
Justice Krishna S. Dixit, before whom the petition filed by the Federation, a not-for -profit society, came up for hearing on Friday said that the interim plea for stay of the operation of the new law, would be considered on October 27 along with other petitions, filed by individual online gaming operators.
The other petitions are filed by Galactus Funware Technology Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, Play Games 24X7 Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, Head Digital Works Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, Gameskraft Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, and Junglee Games India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
Several principals of government and private schools in Delhi on Tuesday said the Directorate of Education (DoE) circular from a day earlier, directing schools to conduct classes in ‘hybrid’ mode, had caused confusion regarding day-to-day operations as they did not know how many students would return to school from Wednesday and how would teachers instruct in two modes — online and in person — at once. The DoE circular on Monday had also stated that the option to “exercise online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians”. Several schoolteachers also expressed confusion regarding the DoE order. A government schoolteacher said he was unsure of how to cope with the resumption of physical classes, given that the order directing government offices to ensure that 50% of the employees work from home is still in place. On Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had, on the orders of the Supreme Court, directed schools in Delhi-NCR to shift classes to the hybrid mode, following which the DoE had issued the circular. The court had urged the Centre’s pollution watchdog to consider restarting physical classes due to many students missing out on the mid-day meals and lacking the necessary means to attend classes online. The CAQM had, on November 20, asked schools in Delhi-NCR to shift to the online mode of teaching.