Will draw Centre’s attention on law for digital de-addiction, says Dinesh Gundu Rao

Expressing concern over mental and physical problems in youth due to over exposure of social media, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said he will write to the Union Health Minister for a law on digital de-addiction.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of ‘Ayush Habba’ in Mangaluru on Saturday, Mr. Rao said youth and children were facing mental and physical problems because of over exposure to social media. It was during the Covid that students were largely exposed to social media as teaching went online. Australia has already banned social media for children.

There was urgent need of law against digital addiction, which was an issue of concern for youth across the country. “I will shortly write a letter to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in this regard,” he said.

Condemning the threat by contractors of going on strike from February 5 if State Government fails to clear pending bills, Mr. Rao said contractors have been producing bills of completed works before every government and seeking payment. There is way in which contractors’ association can raise the issue with Government and get bills cleared. They cannot go public on non-clearance of bills and make baseless allegations against the Government, he said.

The Minister refused to comment on the reasons behind suicide of C.J. Roy, the Chairman of Confident Group, in his Langford Town office in Bengaluru on Friday.