The Karnataka government is considering restricting the use of mobile phones by students under the age of 16 in educational institutions. The state has reportedly sought the opinion of vice-chancellors of government universities on the proposal.
The Chief Minister categorically clarified that the restrictions will not affect adults while inside the campuses.
The move is seen as an effort to counter issues caused by social media addiction among children. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is reportedly concerned about social media and drugs affecting the behaviour, education, and mental health of minors. The Congress leader is said to be influenced by the call made by countries such as Australia to restrict social media use to safeguard students.
Siddaramaiah also instructed vice-chancellors to take necessary measures to ensure that university campuses remain free from drugs.
The Chief Minister also hinted at the possibility of holding student elections. He said the government is considering allowing student elections with certain conditions, as it would be difficult for students to become leaders without such a window, TV9 Kannada said in a report. He pointed out that India lacks student leaders and asked vice-chancellors to provide suggestions on the matter. “There were elections during our time, and we emerged from that system,” he remarked.
However, most vice-chancellors reportedly opposed conducting elections in colleges. They argued that elections should not be held under any circumstances, citing disturbances in places such as JNU. They said that conducting non-political elections has become difficult and that student elections would require significant time for campaigning, TV9 Kannada reported.