Bengaluru: School education and literacy minister Madhu Bangarappa said Thursday that a decision on banning mobile phones for under-16 children in the state will be made after consulting schoolchildren, their parents, and experts.Expressing concern over the role of parents in children becoming addicted to phones, the minister said, “In today’s system, parents themselves hand over mobiles to their children to keep them quiet or stop them from crying. That’s where the problem starts. Children are getting distracted by mobiles and social media, which is not just a problem in our state but across the country.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the National Science Day event at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Bangarappa said an initiative, “Put down the mobile, pick up a book,” is being planned on the instructions of chief minister Siddaramaiah. TOI reported the details about this initiative last week.The issue of the mobile ban in schools is in the discussion phase, and an appropriate decision will be made soon under the CM’s guidance, the minister added.
