Nation Briefs

25 lakh personnel to be deployed for 5 assembly elections: EC

New Delhi: As many as 25 lakh personnel, including 8.5 lakh security personnel, will be deployed for the five assembly polls to be held next month, the Election Commission said on Wednesday. As many as 17.4 crore electors are eligible to vote in the elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry. The EC noted that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while announcing the schedule of the elections, had asserted that the officials have been directed to act with complete impartiality to ensure that the elections are violence-free and inducement-free so that each elector votes without fear or favour. The personnel deployed include nearly 15 lakh polling officials, 8.5 lakh security personnel, 40,000 counting personnel, 49,000 micro observers, 21,000 sector officers and 15,000 micro observers for counting, amongst others.

‘Govt committed to ensuring safe, responsible online gaming ecosystem’

New Delhi: The government is committed to ensuring a safe, responsible and accountable online-gaming ecosystem in the country, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan said the government has enacted the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (Gaming Act) with the objective of promoting innovation in e-sports and online social games and prohibiting online money games.