PUBG ban in India: After murder, NCPCR asks MeitY why was banned game available to boy

After a 16-year-old boy shot dead his mother allegedly for playing the online video game PUBG, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has written to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology asking how a banned game in India, which has been blocked by Government of India, is still available for use by minors. The Commission also sought to know the reasons for the availability of such blocked applications over the internet.

"The Commission has come across a newspaper report wherein it has been reported that a child has killed his own mother as she prevented him from playing PUBG. Keeping in view of this serious issue the Commission is taking suo-moto cognizance as 13(1)(j) of CPCR Act 2005 of this incident dated June 8, 2022," NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said in a letter to Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, MeitY.

"In view of this incident, it is beyond the understanding of the Commission, that how a banned game in India, which has been blocked by the Government of India is still available for use by minors. Therefore, the Commission requests your good offices to inform reasons for the availability of such blocked applications over the internet. It is requested that the Commission may be informed regarding action taken in such incidents and be provided with a list of such games which are being used by minors along with their regulating bodies and their regulating mechanism within 10 days of receipt of this letter," he added.

In a shocking incident, a 16-year-old boy, who was addicted to playing mobile games, shot his mother dead for scolding him over his PUBG addiction. The boy later locked his 10-year-old sister in a room and sat with his mother's dead body at his house in Aldico Colony of Lucknow's PGI area, Uttar Pradesh Police said.

Following the incident, experts expressed concerns about mental health problems related to mobile phone game addiction. Dr Jyoti Kapoor, senior psychiatrist and founder, Manasthali services said, "Mobile games have not only hampered the physical growth of a child but also kept him unaware of the realities of the world."

Another expert, Dr Shweta Sharma, Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Mansa Global Foundation for Mental Health said that children and mobile phones have become dependent on each other thereby impacting the mental and physical health of children.

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds or PUBG mobile was banned in India over security concerns by the government.