Mangaluru : In response to the growing concerns regarding the adverse effects of the digital age on children’s health, a public consultation meeting was held in Mangaluru on April 9, 2026, to discuss the Karnataka government’s ‘Draft Digital Health Policy.’ Organized by PADI and ORESP, the session followed a call for public feedback initiated by the State Health Minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao. During the event, Renni D’Souza, CEO of PADI, presented the core framework of the policy, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive guidelines to manage children’s digital engagement. Dr. Keerthi Nakray from ORESP highlighted that infants as young as four months to adolescents aged 18 are facing severe health issues due to mobile usage, advocating for age-specific solutions within the policy.
The consultation resulted in several critical suggestions aimed at fostering ‘Digital Hygiene.’ Participants proposed that Anganwadi and ASHA workers should educate parents on healthy digital habits from early childhood. Key recommendations included the formation of ‘Digital Wellness Committees’ in every school to monitor student activities and specialized training for teachers to identify early signs of digital addiction or distress. Furthermore, the stakeholders demanded a simplified, time-bound grievance redressal system to tackle cyberbullying and digital exploitation. It was underscored that the policy’s implementation should involve a multi-layered approach, spanning from state to village levels, involving the Education Department, Women and Child Development Department, and local Panchayats.
To ensure the policy is robust and inclusive, the meeting proposed ten major revisions. These include making the policy mandatory across all government, private, and residential schools, and integrating it with the State Child Protection Policy. Recommendations were also made to clearly distinguish between educational and recreational screen time, mandate ‘Safe Search’ filters in schools and homes, and incorporate existing digital laws. Significantly, the stakeholders urged the government to expand these consultations beyond Bengaluru to other divisions to include local experts and parents. To facilitate further discussion, an online meeting has been scheduled for April 13, 2026, with an open invitation for public registration. The consolidated report from this Mangaluru session will be submitted to the government to refine the final draft.
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