‘No social media for under-16s’: Siddaramaiah’s big pitch in Karnataka Budget

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced that children below 16 years of age will not be allowed to use social media platforms in the state. The proposal was unveiled while presenting the Karnataka Budget for 2026–27 in the Assembly at Vidhana Soudha.

The proposed restriction forms part of a wider set of measures in the state budget aimed at addressing the growing impact of excessive mobile phone use among young students and improving their overall well-being and academic environment.

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Speaking during his Budget presentation, Siddaramaiah said the decision was intended to shield children from the harmful effects linked to rising smartphone and social media use.

“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,” said CM Siddaramaiah.

Education, mental health support and school upgrades announced

Alongside the proposed social media restriction, the government outlined several education-sector initiatives. The Chief Minister said one trained mental health counsellor will be posted at each of the 204 Block Resource Centres to support students.

Authorities will also step up efforts to curb drug use in schools, colleges, and universities through awareness drives, stricter enforcement, and student support centres.

As part of efforts to improve access to education, the government plans to upgrade 184 government higher primary schools into high schools and convert 50 high schools into Pre-University colleges.

The government also wants to give a big boost to the state’s public school system. Over the next three years, about 800 institutions will be upgraded and turned into Karnataka Public Schools, with the project expected to cost around Rs 3,900 crore.

Of these, 500 schools will be supported by the Asian Development Bank, 200 by the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board, and the remaining 100 through the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation.

Separate funds have been set aside to improve basic facilities in schools. About Rs 565 crore will go towards building new classrooms and repairing existing ones. Another Rs 75 crore has been allocated for toilets, while Rs 25 crore will be used to provide classroom furniture. In addition, Rs 125 crore will be transferred directly to School and College Development Committees to take care of maintenance work.

The state also plans to introduce bilingual teaching in government primary schools by providing English training for teachers at a cost of Rs 24 crore.