The Chief Minister M.K. Stalin readopted readopted the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling & Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022 in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Thursday, March 23.  

The Bill was put up again in the House since Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi returned it on March 6 saying it was an ultra virus for the Constitution and against the judgments of courts. The bill was first adopted in Tamilnadu  Assembly on October 19, 2022.

The Governor's returned Bill has now been re-adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly thrice. A bill that sought to exempt applicants for undergraduate medical degree programmes from the NEET was once again accepted last year.

The law on Thursday had the support of every major party apart from the BJP. The law was supported by the AIADMK, but the MLAs led by former chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami staged a walkout when it was put to a vote on the grounds that only a small group of four MLAs led by O. Panneerselvam were given the opportunity to speak.
The Chief Minister stated that "44 person had died  by suicide after incurring enormous financial loss in online gambling" and that he was moving the bill with a sorrowful heart.

He also recalled the note Suresh Kumar of Chennai had written before taking his own life, pleading for a ban and stating that no one should leave their family behind when they pass away.

The state administration has a duty and responsibility to stop deaths from occuring, said Stalin, who noted that they occur every day in front of us.

He emphasised that the government established a committee under the leadership of retired Madras High Court Judge K. Chandru before proposing the original Bill to provide advice to the government on the matter.

On June 27, 2022, the committee turned in its report, and that day, it was laid on the table before the cabinet meeting.

In July 2022, the School Education Department carried out a separate study to determine the effect of Online gaming on children.

"A total of 2,04,114 teachers responded, and 74% of them believed that online gaming had a negative impact on kids' ability to focus. Online games have a negative effect on kids' intelligence, writing abilities, and creativity, according to 64% of teachers. The Chief Minister quoted a study to say that the games also damaged kids' self-esteem and behaviour and made them angry.

According to Mr. Stalin, the government also solicited input and opinions from members of the general public, social activists, mental health counsellors, parents, teachers, students, and youngsters.

10,735 letters from the general public were received, 10,708 of which called for the outlawing of internet gambling. Only 27 emails supported internet gambling, he continued.

On August 11 and 12, 2022, a group of government representatives led by the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary also met with representatives of the online gaming sector, political parties, social activists, and campaigners.

"A Bill was developed and submitted before the cabinet for ratification on September 26 based on the recommendations of the committee headed by Judge Chandru, the School Education department, and consultations with other parties," the Chief Minister stated.

The governor issued an ordinance on October 1, 2022, and it was published in the gazette on October 3, 2022. A Bill was introduced after it, and on October 19, 2022, the Assembly approved it. On October 26, 2022, the Governor received the bill and gave his or her consent.

Mr. Stalin claimed that on November 23, 2022, the Governor requested clarifications rather than providing his permission, and that the government answered to him within a day. On December 1, 2022, the State Law Minister personally visited with him and gave him the information.

But after 131 days, the Governor sent back the Bill with some notes. The cabinet was presented with the Governor's queries and his notes, and it gave its approval for the bill to be re-tabled, the Chief Minister stated, outlining the rationale.

The Chief Minister urged the Assembly members to unanimously approve the bill before sending it back to the Governor for his signature.

"The law is not only a legal draught; it is also a heart draught. We may disagree politically, which is fine, but anyone with a heart will agree that online gambling should be outlawed because it has been responsible for many fatalities. The cries of an individual or a family should not be heard by the state. If it happens once more, it will amount to a weakening of both the state's authority and the meaning of the law. The government's responsibility is to uphold law and order and deter criminality, he said.

The Chief Minister also remembered Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur's statement in the Parliament that section 34 of the 7th schedule of the Constitution gave states the authority to implement legislation against internet gaming.

"I want to say that we cannot manage the country while ignoring our conscience. All law must have as its goal the protection and wellbeing of its citizens. Law specialists all across the world will adopt jurisprudence since it is a social science, he claimed.

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