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How Karnataka is looking to curb screen time among students

March 26, 2026 7 min read Polity & Governance Social Issues GS1 GS2
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What Happened

  • The Karnataka government has released a draft "Policy for Responsible Digital Use Among Students," targeting students in Grades 9–12 (secondary and pre-university level), along with teachers and parents.
  • Key proposals: a one-hour daily limit on recreational screen time outside academic use; automatic mobile data shutdown at 7 PM; development of age-appropriate phones for children; and a ban on teachers assigning homework via WhatsApp (to reduce screen time at home).
  • Schools are required to establish "Digital Safety and Wellness Committees" comprising the school principal, counsellors, teachers, student representatives, parents, and cybercrime police officials, to monitor implementation and address digital risks including cyberbullying.
  • The policy was developed by the Karnataka State Mental Health Authority (KSMHA) and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), following a multistakeholder consultation held on October 16, 2025, and a focus group discussion on October 31, 2025.
  • The draft was released for public consultation in March 2026 but has been noted to have been prepared without consulting the Union IT Ministry or major technology companies — a process gap flagged by MediaNama and civil society observers.
  • The policy is accompanied by a proposed law to restrict mobile phone and social media use for students under 16, signalling the government's intent to move from guidelines to statutory regulation.

Static Topic Bridges

Child Rights, Mental Health, and the State's Parens Patriae Power

The State's authority to regulate access to technology for children flows from the doctrine of parens patriae — the State's inherent power and duty to act as the guardian of persons who cannot protect their own interests, including minors. This power is recognised in Indian constitutional and common law tradition and forms the basis for child protection legislation.

  • Article 21A: The right to education (inserted by the 86th Constitutional Amendment, 2002) requires the State to provide free and compulsory education to children aged 6–14. Read with Article 21, this right encompasses educational environments free from harmful distractions.
  • Article 39(f): A Directive Principle requiring the State to ensure that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner, with freedom and dignity, and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation.
  • National Policy for Children, 2013: Commits the State to protecting children from exploitation, including online harms, and promoting children's right to play, leisure, and holistic development.
  • Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO): Addresses online sexual offences against children but does not directly regulate screen time or general digital access.
  • The Indian Penal Code (now Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023) and the IT Act, 2000 (Section 67B) address child online sexual abuse — but general digital wellness regulation for children remains a policy gap at the national level.

Connection to this news: Karnataka's draft policy is a state-level exercise of the parens patriae principle in the digital domain — using the State's protective authority over minors to address a public health concern (screen addiction, mental health impacts) that existing legislation was not designed to cover.

Digital Wellness and Adolescent Mental Health — Evidence Base

The Karnataka policy is grounded in a growing body of research linking excessive screen time to adverse mental health outcomes in adolescents — a key justification for regulatory intervention.

  • The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, has documented rising prevalence of Internet use disorder and gaming disorder among Indian adolescents — particularly post-COVID, as remote schooling dramatically increased screen time.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises "gaming disorder" as a diagnosable condition (ICD-11, 2019), defined by impaired control over gaming leading to significant functional impairment.
  • Global evidence: A 2023 meta-analysis in JAMA Pediatrics found that recreational screen time exceeding 2 hours/day in adolescents was associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and attention deficits.
  • Screen time in Indian students surged during COVID-19 remote schooling (2020–2022) — studies indicate average screen time of 6-8 hours/day among urban secondary school students at the peak.
  • Karnataka's proposed 1-hour recreational limit aligns with the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidelines for older children (recommending limiting non-academic screen time), though international recommendations have moved toward quality-focused rather than purely time-based guidelines.

Connection to this news: NIMHANS's involvement in developing the policy gives the Karnataka draft a credible evidence base — the draft policy is not an ad hoc executive response but draws on systematic mental health research about the specific harms that the proposed interventions are designed to address.

IT Act, 2000 and Digital Regulation — Centre-State Dynamics

Regulation of digital content, internet access, and technology platforms in India is primarily a Central subject under Entry 31 (Posts and telegraphs) and Entry 97 (residuary powers) of the Union List, Seventh Schedule. This creates potential jurisdictional tensions when states attempt to regulate digital use independently.

  • The IT Act, 2000 (amended 2008) is Central legislation that governs electronic communications, intermediaries, and cyber offences. Section 69A empowers the Centre to block websites and digital content in the interest of sovereignty, public order, and decency — but does not create a framework for time-based access regulation.
  • The IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 regulate social media intermediaries at the national level — platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp are required to comply with age verification and child safety standards under these rules.
  • Karnataka's proposed law to restrict mobile use for students under 16 would need to navigate the constitutional division of powers — if it imposes obligations on technology platforms (which are Central-regulated), it could face repugnancy challenges under Article 254.
  • Precedent: Maharashtra banned mobile phones in schools and colleges in 2022 under State education authority — this was within the state's legislative competence under Entry 25 (Education, List III) and was upheld as a valid exercise of regulatory power over educational institutions.

Connection to this news: Karnataka's draft policy faces a dual challenge: it is designed in consultation with mental health experts but has been drafted without coordinating with the Union IT Ministry or tech platforms — an omission that may create implementation gaps, since the data shutdown at 7 PM and age-appropriate phone mandates require cooperation from telecom operators and device manufacturers regulated at the Central level.

Digital Literacy and Education Policy — NEP 2020

The National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP 2020) recognises digital literacy as a core competency but also emphasises the importance of limiting technology dependence at the school level, particularly in foundational and preparatory stages.

  • NEP 2020 recommends minimal technology exposure for children below age 8 and cautious, structured use for older students.
  • The Policy explicitly warns against "excessive screen time" and recommends that schools promote physical activity, arts, and outdoor play as part of the holistic development curriculum.
  • NEP 2020 advocates "digital literacy" — meaning the ability to use technology critically and safely — rather than mere digital access.
  • The PM SHRI schools scheme (launched 2022), which funds model schools to implement NEP 2020 principles, includes provisions for structured digital labs rather than unrestricted device access.
  • Karnataka's proposal to ban WhatsApp homework assignments aligns with NEP 2020's principle that academic work should not create screen time obligations beyond school hours.

Connection to this news: Karnataka's draft digital use policy can be read as a state-level operationalisation of NEP 2020's caution against excessive screen time — translating a national policy aspiration into specific, enforceable school-level norms. The alignment with NEP 2020 may strengthen the policy's legal and administrative legitimacy.

Key Facts & Data

  • Policy name: Draft Policy for Responsible Digital Use Among Students (Karnataka, released March 2026).
  • Target group: Students Grades 9–12, along with teachers and parents.
  • Developed by: Karnataka State Mental Health Authority (KSMHA) + NIMHANS.
  • Key proposals: 1-hour/day recreational screen time limit; 7 PM data shutdown; age-appropriate phones; WhatsApp homework ban; Digital Safety and Wellness Committee in every school.
  • School committee composition: Principal, counsellors, teachers, student representatives, parents, cybercrime police officials.
  • Proposed law: Restrict mobile and social media use for students under 16.
  • Process gap: Policy drafted without consulting Union IT Ministry or technology companies.
  • NIMHANS role: National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru — India's apex mental health research institution, contributed evidence base.
  • WHO ICD-11 (2019): Gaming disorder recognised as diagnosable condition.
  • NEP 2020: Recommends limiting technology dependence, promoting holistic development.
  • Article 39(f): Directive Principle — State to ensure children develop in healthy manner with freedom and dignity.
  • Maharashtra precedent (2022): State-level mobile phone ban in schools upheld under education regulatory power (Entry 25, List III).