New Delhi: The Delhi High Court recently said a complete ban on use of smartphones by students attending school is both an undesirable and unworkable approach.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani was hearing a plea in which a minor student was visited with certain consequences for allegedly misusing a smartphone while in school. The plea was filed by a child studying in a Kendriya Vidyalaya school.

Justice Bhambhani noted that though certain guidelines have been issued by the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) and the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) back in the year 2009 and these guidelines have evidently not borne the desired result.

Justice Bhambhani further noted that even the more recent advisory issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) in 2023 only lays-down very broad instructions to prevent the misuse of smartphones in schools.

“Importantly, the aforementioned guidelines proceed on the fundamental premise that use of smartphones in school should be banned. This court would observe that much has changed in the past years as regards the use of technology, including for educational and other related purposes. In the opinion of this court therefore, a complete ban on use of smartphones by students attending school is both an undesirable and........

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