Delhi HC says blanket ban on smartphones in school not practical; lay out these guidelines

The Delhi High Court has ruled against a complete ban on smartphones in schools, stating that such an approach is neither practical nor desirable. Instead, the court has framed guidelines to regulate and monitor student smartphone use, balancing educational benefits with potential risks.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani pointed out that technology has become an essential part of education, making a total ban on smartphones unrealistic. The court also noted that smartphones help students stay connected with their parents, adding to their safety and security. At the same time, the court acknowledged the risks of excessive screen time, social media exposure, and misuse of smartphones. Instead of banning them outright, the focus should be on responsible usage.

A copy of the court's order has been sent to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. These organizations are expected to implement the guidelines and ensure schools enforce responsible smartphone use policies.
The factual matrix in this case presented a situation in which a minor student was visited with certain consequences by reason of misusing a smartphone while in school. 2. Though the present petition was initially filed seeking certain directions to respondent No.1 – Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sector–05 Dwarka, New Delhi - in relation to the petitioner (a minor student), during the course of hearing however, the parties to the proceedings, in particular the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan („KVS‟) urged this court to lay-down guidelines for the use of smartphones in schools, which came to be framed as an issue in para 8.1 of order dated 07.12.2023.
For ease of reference, the relevant portion of order dated 07.12.2023 is extracted below : “8.1 The first issue, raised by Mr. Rajappa is that the court should lay-down some guidelines for the use of cellular phones in the school. Mr. Rajappa has made some submissions in that regard and invites the court to consider the issue, so that episodes such as the one alleged in the present case, do not recur.” 4. The aforementioned issue is being addressed in order to minimize the chances of a similar incident occurring again, which has resulted in the initiation of these proceedings. 5. In this behalf, during the course of the hearing, this court invited submissions, suggestions and material from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (respondent No.3), the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (respondent No.4) and from the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (respondent No.5), who were represented before the court, to address the afore-noted issue.
With the aforesaid aim and intent, this court proceeds to draw-up the following guiding principles which would serve to balance the beneficial and deleterious effects of permitting the use of smartphones in the hands of students while attending school :
13.1. As a matter of policy students should not be barred from carrying smartphones to school but the use of smartphones in school must be regulated and monitored;
13.2. Where it is possible to make arrangements for safekeeping of smartphones, students should be required to deposit their smartphones when they enter school and take them back when returning home;
13.3. Smartphones must not disrupt classroom teaching, discipline, or the overall educational atmosphere. To this end, the use of smartphones in class must be prohibited. Use of cameras and recording facility on smartphones should also be barred in the common areas of the school as well as in school vehicles;
13.4. Schools must educate students on responsible online behaviour, digital manners, and the ethical use of smartphones. Students must be counseled that high levels of screen-time and social media engagement can lead to anxiety, diminished attention spans and cyber-bullying;
13.5. The policy should permit use of smartphones for connectivity for purposes of safety and co-ordination but disallow the use of smartphones for entertainment/recreational use;
13.6. The policy on regulating and monitoring the use of smartphones in school should be made in consultation with parents, educators, and experts, to evolve a balanced approach that addresses the needs and concerns of all parties involved;
13.7. Schools should have the discretion to implement policies that fit their unique situations, whether that involves allowing limited use of smartphones in specified areas of the school or enforcing stricter bans, including bans during specific times and events;
13.8. The policy should establish transparent, fair, and enforceable consequences for violation of the rules for use of smartphones in school, ensuring consistent application without being excessively harsh. Possible consequences could include confiscation of smartphones for a certain time-period; or barring a student from carrying a smartphone for specified number of days, as a measure of disciplining an errant student; and
13.9. Given the fast-paced advancement of technology, the policy should be regularly reviewed and revised to tackle emerging challenges.
The present petition is disposed-of with the aforesaid guiding principles for the concerned authorities to review their extant policies, without however interfering with those polices at this stage. A copy of This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 03/03/2025 at 17:03:12 W.P.(C) 15191/2023 Page 6 of 6 this order be sent by the Registry to the Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education; the Director, Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi; and the Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sanghatan, expeditiously.