Bengaluru, March 6 : In a major move, the Congress-led Karnataka government has announced social media ban for children under 16 years of age in the state. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made the announcement on Friday in this regard while presenting the budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the Legislative Assembly.

"To prevent the adverse effects of increasing mobile phone usage on children, the use of social media will be banned for children below 16 years of age," CM Siddaramaiah announced.

The announcement was made as part of a set of measures outlined by the Karnataka government in the education sector, aimed at improving the overall well-being, academic environment and development of students, he stated.

Earlier, Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa stated that the government is seriously considering banning social media for schoolchildren.

CM Siddaramaiah further stated, "To address studentsâ?? mental health, one qualified mental health counsellor will be appointed at each of the 204 Block Resource Centres (BRCs)."

The CM further stated that strict measures will be taken to prevent drug use in schools, colleges and universities through awareness programmes, strict regulations and the establishment of support centres for students.

CM Siddaramaiah further announced, as part of the broader education reforms, the government has also decided to upgrade 184 Government Higher Primary Schools into High Schools and 50 High Schools into Pre-University Colleges, in line with the announcement made in the 2025â??26 budget, to facilitate better access to higher education for students.

The process of obtaining and renewing recognition for private schools has also been simplified by enabling online submission of applications and documents, CM Siddaramaiah stated.

To provide quality education under one roof, the government will upgrade a total of 800 schools into Karnataka Public Schools. Of these, 500 schools will be developed with assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), 200 through funds from the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB), and 100 through the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC).

The initiative will involve an expenditure of Rs. 3,900 crore over the next three years, CM Siddaramaiah announced.

To improve infrastructure, Rs 565 crore will be allocated for construction of new classrooms and repair works in government primary schools, high schools and Pre-University colleges. Additionally, Rs 75 crore has been earmarked for construction of toilets and Rs 25 crore for purchasing furniture for schools, CM Siddaramaiah stated.

The government will also provide Rs 125 crore for the maintenance of government primary schools, high schools and Pre-University colleges, with the funds to be directly transferred to School and College Development Committees, he stated.

To introduce bilingual teaching in government primary schools, an English language training programme will be conducted for primary school teachers at a cost of Rs 24 crore, CM Siddaramaiah stated.

In collaboration with IIT Dharwad, Karnataka will introduce AI-based learning support for about 12.28 lakh students studying from Classes 8 to 12. The initiative will provide a personalised digital self-learning tutor at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore, CM Siddaramaiah stated.

The government also plans to fill 15,000 vacant teaching posts in schools and colleges during the 2026â??27 academic year, CM Siddaramaiah stated.

/IANS