Blue whale challenge: Education dept to launch awareness drive

INTERACTION Principals have been asked to lay special focus on students, hold discussions with them

After the Rajasthan police directed its SPs to launch an awareness campaign against the dreaded Blue Whale Challenge, state education minister Vasudev Devnani on Friday directed all officials, principals and teachers to create awareness about the deadly game among the students.

“We have asked all the department officials, teachers and principals to create awareness among students regarding the game, especially among the students from class 10 and 12,” Devnani told HT. He added that a meeting has been called on Monday to discuss and chalk out an action plan to effectively deal with the menace.

He added that principals have been asked to lay special focus on students and hold discussions with them and make them understand how deadly the game can be.

The Blue Whale Challenge is about completing various tasks set by the administrators of the online game, some of which require the players to inflict

We have asked all the department officials, teachers and principals to create awareness among students regarding the game, especially among the students from class 10 and 12.

injuries on themselves. The final challenge requires the players to commit suicide. The game is believed to have originated from Russia.

In Rajasthan, two cases related to the game have been reported, where a minor girl from Jodhpur attempted suicide twice by jumping into a lake and thereafter consuming tablets. Earlier in August, a minor boy from Jaipur was rescued from Mumbai, who had left home to play the last stage of the game.

On Thursday, expressing concern Director General of Police (DGP) Ajit Singh too had directed all superintendents of police (SP) to run awareness campaign through education department and NGOs.

The DGP has asked all SPs to hold an hour-long orientation programme for students, teachers, and parents at schools and colleges about ill-effects of the game and how to stay from it. He also asked to take services of psychologists and motivators through the chief medical officer.

Alarmed by such incident, the Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights will be issuing directives to government departments such as education and police and release a pocket book for parents, urging them to focus on children and their activities.

Commission chairperson Manan Chaturvedi said that a child’s inclination should be towards sports rather than on computers and mobile phones. “All schools must have child clubs, which should meet every Saturday. Teachers need to students speak and hold discussions with students. They need to be vigilant about what the children are watching on computers,” she said. Parents should keep a close tab on children activities at home, she suggested.