The Karnataka Department of School Education and Literacy has issued an order requiring all students in government, aided, and unaided schools to read Kannada newspapers for ten minutes daily after morning prayers. This decision follows recommendations from the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which highlighted the negative impact of excessive mobile phone use on children's health and academic performance. The Commission noted that cultivating a reading habit can help mitigate issues like low interest in studies and addiction to social media. By engaging in daily newspaper reading, students are expected to enhance their general knowledge, vocabulary, and writing skills, which are crucial for competitive exams. The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, had previously announced a ban on social media usage for children under 16 years of age. The Department is currently preparing guidelines for this initiative, which will be discussed in the upcoming legislative session.