PUBG ban lifted in Ahmedabad, police still concerned about 'extreme use of the game'

Ahmedabad police has lifted the ban on PUBG after a huge outcry on social media criticising the ban. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds also known as PUBG has been in the midst of controversy. PUBG ban was implemented on March 14, 2019, post which 20 people were reportedly arrested in different cities, including Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Vadodara. The arrests were made under section 188 of IPC.

Earlier, Gujarat government had banned the popular mobile game PUBG from primary schools. Some academic institutions had claimed direct correlation between the violent game, like PUBG, and the mental health of kids. Even Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) had issued an advisory against games like PUBG and said that it has an harmful, negative and an adverse impact on the brain of the children.

Also Read: PUBG fans, relax! It's not easy to ban your favourite game

Earlier, Gujarat government had banned the popular mobile game PUBG from primary schools. Some academic institutions had claimed direct correlation between the violent game, like PUBG, and the mental health of kids. PUBG has also been blamed for low academic grades of students. Even Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) had issued an advisory against games like PUBG and said that it has an harmful, negative and an adverse impact on the brain of the children.

Discontinuing the ban, police commissioner of Ahmedabad, A K Singh said, "..as the exam session is over and the direct trigger to initiating the action is not valid any more, we will not renew the proclamation. We have also taken public reaction into account".

Also Read: Is PUBG a menace? Delhi child rights panel says game negatively impacts kids

"However, we are still concerned about the matter, as we are coming across extreme use of the game. We have decided to take more aggressive affirmative action. Maybe we will initiate a discussion and helpline services to provoke various resources in the civil society", Singh added.

Meanwhile, PUBG has also decided to implement digital lock for its users under 13 years of age. The digital lock system will lock out players under the age of 13 and they would have to ask their guardians or parents to open the game for them.

PUBG recently celebrated its first anniversary in March 2019. Launched in March 2018 in India, PUBG Mobile has become the most downloaded game with over 200 million downloads as of December 2018, according to Tencent Games.

Edited By: Udit Verma

Also Read: PUBG banned in Gujarat schools; state govt says game affects studies

Also Read: PUBG ban: 10 people 'booked' in Rajkot for playing the game; police says it's not an 'arrest'