The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has shot off a missive to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) asking it to explain why PUBG, a mobile game, was still available in India, according to a copy of the letter reviewed by Medianama. https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/1536703041197719552 Why it matters: PUBG had grown to be one of the most popular games in India before it was banned in 2020 by the Indian government in retaliation to the border skirmish between India and China in eastern Ladakh. The letter is notable because it sheds light on the problem of gaming addiction among minors. Why did NCPCR send the letter: The commission wrote that it was forced into action after it came across a newspaper report wherein it had been reported that a child had killed his own mother because she prevented him from playing PUBG. The commission said that it was taking suo motu cognisance of the news item. It said that it was under the impression that the game was blocked in India under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. What did the missive say: “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,” read the letter. The commission requested the ministry to explain why such blocked applications were available over the internet. It also urged MeitY to inform the…
