The Gujarat government will soon introduce a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to mitigate the harmful effects of mobile games and social media on children, state education minister Praful Pansheriya announced on Thursday.
The decision follows concerns over incidents such as one in Amreli, where children were influenced by violent video games, leading to self-harm.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has been consulting specialists for months to draft the guidelines, which are expected to be released shortly.
Pansheriya made the announcement during a two-day National Conclave organised by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) at Gujarat Vidyapith.
He also highlighted the adverse impact of parental pressure on children for academic success, warning that such pressure turns parents into adversaries rather than supporters.
The minister stressed that education should nurture cooperative, sensible, and addiction-free individuals rather than solely focusing on producing doctors or engineers.
He predicted that within a decade, parents would prioritise their children’s well-being and character over career achievements due to rising cases of depression and drug addiction among the youth.
NCTE Chairman Pankaj Arora also announced changes to the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) programme.
Students completing a 4-year undergraduate or postgraduate degree will now need only a 1-year B.Ed instead of the previous 2-year course. Those with a 3-year undergraduate degree will continue with the 2-year B.Ed. Additionally, M.Ed courses will be available as a 1-year full-time or 2-year part-time programme. Five new teacher training programmes in yoga, physical education, Sanskrit, and arts will also be introduced.
Arora further addressed the ongoing crackdown on non-compliant educational institutions. “The NCTE has identified irregularities in 2,900 colleges, including poor attendance and policy violations. The Ministry of Education has authorised the council to issue notices and take necessary measures against these institutions, with strict actions expected by March 31,” he said.
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