Budget Bans Mobile Phones Under-16 In Karnataka, Elections Make A Comeback In Colleges /Universities
The announcement to ban usage of mobile phones under-16 years was announced in the budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, holding the Finance portfolio in Bengaluru.
BENGALURU: Taking a cue from Australia and some European countries where usage of mobile phones by students have been banned, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday banned the usage of mobile phones under-16 years in the State considering usage of mobile phones posed adverse effects on their minds in particular to the use of social media sites.
The announcement to ban usage of mobile phones under-16 years was announced in the budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, holding the Finance portfolio in Bengaluru. The budget presented by him stated “ban usage of mobile phones by students under 16 years with the objective of preventing adverse effects of increasing mobile usage by children including usage of social media.”
Earlier, he had put forth his idea to ban usage of mobile phones in Karnataka at the Vice-Chancellors conference held in Bengaluru a couple of days back. At the conference, Siddaramaiah wanted Vice-Chancellors to give their opinions on proposed ban on usage of mobile phones under-16 years.
Endorsing the idea of the Chief Minister to ban usage of mobile phones, Vice-Chancellors of the State welcomed the ban on usage of mobile phones under-16 years. One of the Vice-Chancellors drew the attention of the Chief Minister over parents handing over mobile phones to their children for safety purposes before imposing a ban on usage of mobile phones under 16-years.
Pointing at the instances of ban on mobile phones imposed in Australia and some European countries, Chief Minister Chief Minister it has been observed that many students have been addicted to social media with their mobile phones which resulted in ruining their careers.
However, Vice-Chancellors were averse to the idea of the Chief Minister to re-introduce elections to students unions in colleges and universities. But, the Chief Minister announced in the budget to bring back elections in colleges and universities which were banned a couple of decades back owing to clashes on college and varsity premises.
On re-introduction of elections to the student unions, Siddaramaiah said the idea to bring back elections in colleges and universities is to foster leadership, responsibility and inculcate democratic values in students.
Earlier, Minister of Home Dr G. Parameshwar said he banned elections to university syndicates when he was the Minister of Higher Education while much earlier the then Higher Education K.H. Ranganath banned elections to student unions in colleges and universities in Karnataka.
