UP govt bans mobile phones in college, university campuses

After banning the use of cell phones in Cabinet meets as well as his other official meetings, UP CM Yogi Adityanath has now turned his sights on college campuses.

The Directorate of Higher Education in UP has issued a circular announcing a blanket ban on the use of mobile phones inside universities and colleges in the state, IANS reported. Students will no longer be allowed to take or use mobile phones inside universities and colleges. The ban also applies to the teaching faculty.

The government observed that a large number of students and teachers were spending their valuable time on mobile phones during college hours. Hence, in order to ensure a "better teaching environment for students across all colleges and universities in the state", the Directorate passed this order.

In June, Adityanath stopped officials from bringing mobile phones to meetings. "The Chief Minister wants all ministers to focus on issues that are discussed in the cabinet meetings. They should not get distracted by their mobile phones. Some ministers have been busy reading messages on WhatsApp during the meeting," a senior official in the chief minister's secretariat told the agency at the time.

So ministers would reportedly have to deposit their phones at a designated counter before proceeding for a meeting -- the silent mode was no longer good enough. The decision was also taken in view of hacking and electronic espionage threats.

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