Bengaluru, February 23 A discussion has begun in Karnataka over banning mobile phones in schools and college campuses, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah proposing the idea.
Addressing vice-chancellors and senior education administrators at the Vice Chancellors' conference in the presence of Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday, the chief minister said the government was seriously examining the proposal in the backdrop of growing concerns over social media addiction and its impact on children.
He sought the considered opinion of academic heads before taking a final decision.
"For children below 16 years, if we make restrictions on mobile usage compulsory at least in classrooms and schools, it will be very good," Siddaramaiah said.
Stating that many countries had already taken similar steps, he noted that Australia and several European nations had imposed restrictions on mobile phone use by schoolchildren.
"We are seeing that many children are getting trapped and spoiled by social media. What is your opinion on banning mobile phones for those below 16 years," he asked the VCs.
Some vice-chancellors supported the proposal, terming it a "very good decision", while others pointed out practical challenges, including the increasing use of mobile platforms for homework, communication and safety.
One of them said mobile phones and emails had become compulsory in several English-medium schools and that instructions and assignments were frequently shared digitally.
Siddaramaiah, however, stressed that at least within classrooms, mobile phone use should be avoided.
He observed that in some countries, even in higher education institutions, students were required to leave their phones outside classrooms.
"Inside the classroom, at least it should be avoided. There should not be cross-talking," he said, underlining the need to maintain academic discipline.
He emphasised that creating a healthy environment in educational institutions was extremely necessary and cautioned against overt political activity on campuses.
He noted that while political parties had their own roles, openly proclaiming the ideology of any single party within campuses was "not the right approach".
On drug abuse, Siddaramaiah called for campuses to be made drug-free.
"Your campuses must at least be drug-free. If you act on this, it will benefit society and help us prepare good citizens," he said.
He urged university authorities to identify those involved in drug networks or students consuming narcotics and to work towards reform and prevention.
The conference also saw discussion on student elections in universities.
While some vice-chancellors argued that elections could become party-based and disrupt academic schedules under the semester system, the CM defended their role in nurturing leadership.
"In our time, there were elections everywhere. We actively participated in college elections and grew from there. Didn't we become Chief Minister through such experiences,” he remarked, advocating regulated and time-bound elections that would not clash with academic calendars.
He added that political awareness among youth was declining and that properly regulated elections could help inculcate democratic values without disturbing academic schedules.
State Home Minister G Parameshwara confirmed that the government was seriously examining the proposal to ban mobile phones for students under the age of 16 years.
Citing studies suggesting that early exposure to mobile phones could affect academic performance, he told reporters on Monday that several countries, including Australia and nations in Europe, had already implemented similar restrictions.
The Karnataka government would examine the pros and cons before taking a final decision, he added.
Stating that there was pressure from parents to ban mobile use for students, deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said that the ban is still under discussion.
He said mobiles in schools are banned in many other countries too. Hence, a similar ban is being discussed here too.