A house committee of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly has recommended that the state government ban mobile phones in schools and colleges, blaming the device for the rise in rapes and other crimes against women.The State Women and Child Welfare Committee has also expressed its support for such a move.The crime rate against women may come down if school and college students are prevented from excessively using smart phones which give them unbridled access to social media, the Committee seems to believe."Many students, especially minors, make friends with new people who may not be genuine; this could lead to a case of molestation," stated a report tabled by the house committee in the Assembly yesterday.This is not the first time the Karnataka government has proposed a ban on mobile phones in schools and colleges. The erstwhile BJP government had made a similar proposal, though it had cited health hazards from using mobile phones for long hours as the reason behind seeking such a ban.But not everyone agrees with the Committee's recommendation."I think a mobile phone with safety apps in it would be useful and the user can stay connected. But students should be taught how to responsibly use mobile phones. Perhaps the government can use its resources and our MLAs can think of better ways to control crimes against women, like increasing police patrolling and making it more secure and safer on the ground," said Rina Pareira, a parent.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too seemed to differ with the conclusions drawn by the panel."We use advanced technology but I don't think it affects the behaviour of children," he said.