Bombay HC directs Centre to review PUBG content
The court said that parents of school-going children must ensure that their wards do not access such games.
Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the Union government to go through the content of the mobile game PUBG and issue necessary regulatory directions if it is found to be objectionable. The court directed the secretary of the department concerned of the Union government to direct the service provider of the game to block it, if it deemed fit.
The directions were issued by Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice N.M. Jamdar, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking children be prohibited from playing PUBG in schools.
The petitioner, through his lawyer Tanveer Nizam, has sought that all school children be prohibited from playing the game, at least while they are in the school premises.
The petitioner has also sought a direction to the Central government to form an Online Ethics Review Committee for periodical inspection of such violence-oriented online content
The plea claims that the game has both children and adults addicted, and that the game promotes violence, aggression and cyber-bullying.
Tanveer Nizam, counsel for the petitioner argued before the court that due to this game tendency of violence among children and youngster is increasing. He further argued that Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir and many other states have banned playing of this game in school premises.
World health organisation, recently, had expressed its anxiety on online game system, argued Mr Nizam. He further argued that in London there are de-addiction centres that help people to keep their children from online game.
On Friday, the bench, however, noted that schools already prohibit children from bringing mobile phones or video game devices. Instead, it was imperative that parents of school-going children ensure that their wards do not access such games, it added.
State counsel Poornima Kantharia argued “How can petitioner say schools should ban the game? Schools already don’t allow bringing of mobile phones. If parents are permitting their children to access mobiles and such games, then what will the school do?” the bench said.