The Indian Parliament has successfully passed The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, marking a pivotal step in regulating the country's burgeoning online gaming industry. The bill, cleared by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on August 20-21, 2025, aims to establish a clear regulatory framework, distinguishing between different categories of online games.
Under the new legislation, e-sports, educational, and social gaming will be supported and promoted, recognizing their potential for innovation, cognitive development, and job creation. Conversely, online money-based and betting games, along with their advertising and promotion, are now strictly prohibited. The bill also bars payment service providers and financial intermediaries from facilitating transactions related to such proscribed games. This move is intended to curb addiction, prevent financial fraud, and protect vulnerable groups, including youth, from the adverse social, economic, psychological, and privacy-related risks associated with unregulated real-money gaming. A central authority will be established to provide coordinated policy support, strategic development, and regulatory oversight of the sector. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the passage of the bill, stating it underscores India's commitment to becoming a hub for gaming, innovation, and creativity, while safeguarding society from the harmful effects of online money games.
In other significant policy developments, the government is actively pushing forward its social welfare and housing agendas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Gujarat on August 25 and 26 to inaugurate 1,449 houses and 130 shops constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in Nikol, Ahmedabad. This project is part of a broader effort to provide modern homes to families residing in slum areas. Across Gujarat, the PMAY(U) has sanctioned 9.66 lakh houses, with approximately 9.07 lakh already completed.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has integrated recommendations from the Chintan Shivir 2025 to enhance the efficiency and outreach of various welfare schemes. This includes revised guidelines for Scheduled Caste scholarships and strengthened flagship programs such as the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY), Scheme for Economic Empowerment of Denotified Tribes (SEED), and National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE). Measures like auto-apply renewal of scholarships, digitization of verification processes, and leveraging AI technologies are being implemented to reduce disbursement delays and align scholarship timelines with academic calendars.