Social media access for under-16s to be banned in Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah

CHief government minister Siddaramaiah on fri underlined the inauspicious wallop of increasing mobile river usage and announced that social media access for under-16s will be banned in Karnataka, as he presented a ₹4.48 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2026–27, announcing reforms combining technology-driven learning initiatives with regulatory measures aimed at protecting children online.When implemented, Karnataka will be the first state in the country to restrict social media usage for children as governments globally seek to limit its impact on mental health, sleep, and safety. In December, Australia banned social media for under-16s. Some European countries have adopted or are considering similar restrictions. Britain this month sought the views of parents and children on banning social media access for under-16s and imposing restrictions on gaming platforms and artificial intelligence.“To prevent adverse effects of increasing mobile usage on children, usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16,” said Siddaramaiah.He proposed an Artificial Intelligence-based learning system for students. He said the state government will introduce a personalised digital tutoring system developed in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad to support students from Classes 8 to 12. The programme is expected to benefit around 1.22 million students and will be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹5 crore.In higher education, the state government plans to expand and strengthen institutions while addressing staffing shortages. The University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in Bengaluru will receive ₹500 crore for development on the lines of the IITs, with ₹100 crore allocation in the current year.Siddaramaiah said the state has authorised the recruitment of 2,000 teaching staff for degree colleges, polytechnics, and engineering colleges.He announced the introduction of the Rohith Vemula Bill to address caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions.Other education-related measures include a three-year investment of ₹3,900 crore to expand the Karnataka Public Schools system from lower kindergarten to Class 12, growing it to 800 schools. The government plans to recruit 15,000 teachers for primary and high schools.Siddaramaiah announced that female guest lecturers in government colleges will be entitled to 90 days of maternity leave for the first time.The budget estimates a revenue deficit of ₹22,957 crore. It is the third consecutive budget with a revenue deficit.Siddaramaiah also introduced what he called the “11G Economic Model,” describing it as a strategy to balance economic expansion with social welfare. The framework will focus on good public education, healthcare, grassroots economic development, good governance, support for the gig economy, geographical equality, global trade integration, a global protein economy, environmental sustainability, and expanding urban growth.Siddaramaiah said Karnataka’s economy has grown faster than the national average. He added that the state recorded Gross State Domestic Product growth of 8.1% in 2025–26 compared with the national growth rate of 7.4%.Siddaramaiah said changes in the Union government’s tax policies affected the state’s finances. He added that Karnataka collected ₹1.32 lakh crore in Goods and Services Tax (GST) the previous year. Siddaramaiah said GST rationalisation reduced the state’s share of the revenue.Siddaramaiah announced home-based palliative care services for patients suffering from severe, chronic, and terminal illnesses, in collaboration with Pallium India. He said the metro network in Bengaluru would be expanded, with about 41 km of new lines expected to be added within the next year, which could benefit nearly 1.5 million people.