Mobile Phone Ban In Classrooms: Minister Gives Contradictory Statements

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Higher Education Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo on Wednesday gave two different statements on the ban on mobile phones inside school classrooms across the State.

In a reply to BJD MLA, Byomkesh Ray in the State Assembly today, Sahoo informed that the State government has no plans to impose ban on the use of mobile phones by the school staff and students during school hours.

The Minister, however, while speaking to the media later said that use of mobile phones should be banned in schools. "No one can use mobile phones in classrooms. Mobile phones should not be used by the teachers when the classes are underway," he said.

Such contradictory statements of the minister on the same issue have now become a matter of debate among the intellectuals across the State.

Notably, former Higher Education Minister, Ananta Das in 2017 had stated that the state government was mulling over a ban on use of mobile phones in schools, colleges and universities. However, the state government is yet to take a final decision in this regard.