HC: Need a Balanced Approach to Regulate Phone Use in Schools

A complete ban on the use of smartphones by students attending school is both an undesirable and unworkable approach. ANUP J BHAMBANI, Delhi high court judge

- Shruti Kakkar

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court has emphasized the need for a balanced approach in regulating the use of mobile phones by students in schools, asserting that a complete ban is both "undesirable and unworkable," given the technological advancements. Instead, the court underscored the importance of a structured policy that allows students to carry phones for essential purposes while curbing their misuse.

The ruling came in response to a petition filed by a Class 10 student of a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Dwarka, who was barred from attending classes and taking exams for misusing a smartphone by allegedly clicking a teacher's photo in school and uploading it on social media.

A bench of justice Anup Jairam Bhambani acknowledged the potential harms of the indiscriminate use of smartphones, but recognized their vital role in ensuring students' safety and facilitating communication between parents and children.