Camera-phone banned for daughters-in-law in Rajasthan's Jalore

A panchayat decision in Rajasthan’s Jalore district has reopened a familiar fault line in rural India: who gets to be online, and on what terms.

- TDG NETWORK

In mid-December, a community panchayat linked to 15 villages reportedly asked “daughters-in-law and young women” to stop using camera-enabled phones and switch to basic keypad handsets. The curbs went beyond the device—women were also reportedly told not to carry phones to public functions or even to a neighbor's house. The diktat is expected to take effect from January 26, 2026.

Such orders are usually justified as “discipline”—to protect family harmony, reduce distraction, or guard against online risks. In this case too, reports cited reasons ranging from “mobile addiction” to anxieties about social media and reputation.

Yet a camera-phone ban is rarely just a lifestyle rule. It draws hard lines around women’s autonomy—communication, mobility, privacy, and access to everyday services—while leaving men’s digital freedoms largely untouched.