In an Indian village, children under 18 are legally banned from using smartphones

Authorities in the village of Mohityanche Wadgaon, located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, have decided to impose a ban on cell phones for children under 18 years of age, all in an effort to preserve the physical and mental health of teenagers. As part of the initiative, children are prohibited from using their phones from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily so that they can «spend quality time and stay away from screens as much as possible.»

A village in Maharashtra has made a good decision to ban cell phones for kids under 18. Besides affecting studies, it affects their mental health in the long run. pic.twitter.com/1LL8DYE6pr

— Dr. Milind Kulkarni (@drmkulkarni) November 17, 2022

Many villagers supported the decision. However, there were those who said that such actions deprive young people of the opportunity to learn digital literacy. The village authorities recognize that there may be problems with the effective implementation of the ban at first, so they will need to establish proper communication with the villagers and encourage them to voluntarily cooperate in implementing the initiative. To facilitate joint action in addressing this issue, parents and children will be provided with counseling on the use of mobile devices and their impact on children’s minds.

«If after our public consultations we see children using mobile phones, we will fine them,» said the village authorities. The fine will be 200 rupees, which is equivalent to about $ 2.5.

As a reminder, in October, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) proposed that the country begin a phased testing of a national cryptocurrency (CBDC). The main motivation for the launch of CBDC was the reliability and liquidity of payments, as well as the possibility of introducing cryptocurrencies into the national financial system. In the future, the digital rupee will reduce the operating costs of cash management in India.