Himachal Pradesh Imposes Statewide Ban On Mobile Phones In Schools

In a landmark decision aimed at improving the educational circumstances and the overall well-being of students, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced the prohibition of mobile phones for students in both public and private schools throughout Himachal Pradesh, starting March 1, 2026. This declaration was made during the closing ceremony of the 69th National School Games Under-19 Girls Handball Tournament at Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district.

Under the new policy, students are no longer allowed to bring mobile devices onto school grounds. The Chief Minister outlined specific enforcement actions, indicating that students found with phones will incur an INR 500 penalty and have their devices confiscated. Additionally, parents will have to participate in compulsory counseling sessions organized by the school. To maintain long-term compliance with this policy, the Education Department will develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling repeated violations.

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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Aims To Promote Sports Tourism

Reflecting on the impact of mobile phone usage on student focus and social development, the Chief Minister shared insights from his own experience in the government education system, reiterating his commitment to enhancing educational quality. Beyond academic initiatives, the Chief Minister emphasized the government’s proactive approach to boosting sports and promoting sports tourism. He declared that job opportunities would be made available to female athletes from Himachal Pradesh who recently competed in the Asian Games. To honor the Himachal team’s triumph in the National Handball Championship, he announced a cash reward of INR 20 lakh.

The Chief Minister also mentioned an increase in the daily diet allowance for student-athletes to INR 400 for in-state events and INR 500 for national competitions.

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Additionally, athletes traveling over 200 kilometers for events will now benefit from air travel provisions for enhanced comfort. He set forth multiple infrastructure goals, including the prompt completion of the indoor stadium in Ghumarwin and a new girls’ hostel in Morsingi.

The tournament concluded with the Himachal Pradesh team winning gold against Rajasthan, while Haryana secured third place, with participation from 30 teams nationwide.