Lok Sabha Question No. 5725 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-06
Subject: Addiction of Online Games
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Arun Sao, Kunwar Danish Ali, Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar, Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre, Vijay Baghel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5725

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.04.2022

## ADDICTION ON ONLINE GAMES

## 5725.  SHRI  ARUN  SAO:  KUNWAR  DANISH  ALI:  SHRI  RANJEETSINGH  HINDURAO  NAIK NIMBALKAR: SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE: SHRI VIJAY BAGHEL:

Will the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of suicide of children due to addiction of internet games during the last five years in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether gambling due to addiction to internet games is causing heavy financial loss to the youth and their parents, if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto; and
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  received  any  complaints  in  this  regard  and  if  so,  the  details  of  such complaints including the complaints received from the States?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

(a ) to (c):The Government is committed to Open, Safe & Trusted and Accountable internet. With increasing proliferation of internet coupled with global pandemic scenario, the average time being spent on the internet by  Indian  users  has  increased.  As  per  some  media  reports,  time  spent  on  online  games  has  also  increased. Government is aware of the possible risks and challenges including that of user harms associated with online games. This Ministry does not maintain data for number of children who committed suicide due to addiction of  internet  games.    As  per  the  information  provided  by  National  Crime  Record  Bureau  (NCRB),  which maintains all crime statistics, the State wise details during the year 2017 to 2020 are annexed.  The latest data pertains to 2020.

'Betting    and  gambling'  are  listed  as  State  subjects  under  Entries  34  of  List  II  in  Seventh  Schedule  of Constitution  of India,  thereby  giving  States the power to legislate in this domain. Accordingly, the States/ Union  Territories  have  enacted  their  laws  to  deal  with  gambling  including  online  gambling  within  their jurisdictions.

This Ministry blocks Apps/URLs including online games, based on the specific requests received from the designated Nodal Officers of the Ministries/States on grounds of integrity and sovereignty of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relationship with foreign states, public order and to prevent incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above circumstances,  following due process specified in the  Information Technology  (Procedure  and  Safeguards  for  Blocking  for  Access of  Information  by Public)  Rules,  2009,  notified  under  section  69A  of  the  Information Technology Act, 2000.

(d): This ministry has received complaints,  on the same lines as above, in the form of grievances including from Hon'ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Puducherry and some Hon'ble Members of Parliament.

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## State/UT-wise Number of Cases Registered under Motives of Cyber Crimes for Abetment of Suicide through Online Games during 2017-2020

| SL   | State/UT                    | 2017   | 2018   | 2019   |   2020 |
|------|-----------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1    | Andhra Pradesh              | 0      | 1      | 0      |      0 |
| 2    | Arunachal Pradesh           | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 3    | Assam                       | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 4    | Bihar                       | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 5    | Chhattisgarh                | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 6    | Goa                         | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 7    | Gujarat                     | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 8    | Haryana                     | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 9    | Himachal Pradesh            | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 10   | Jharkhand                   | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 11   | Karnataka                   | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 12   | Kerala                      | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 13   | Madhya Pradesh              | 0      | 1      | 0      |      0 |
| 14   | Maharashtra                 | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 15   | Manipur                     | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 16   | Meghalaya                   | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 17   | Mizoram                     | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 18   | Nagaland                    | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 19   | Odisha                      | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 20   | Punjab                      | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 21   | Rajasthan                   | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 22   | Sikkim                      | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 23   | Tamil Nadu                  | 5      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 24   | Telangana                   | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 25   | Tripura                     | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 26   | Uttar Pradesh               | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 27   | Uttarakhand                 | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 28   | West Bengal                 | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
|      | TOTAL STATE(S)              | 5      | 2      | 0      |      0 |
| 29   | A&N Islands                 | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 30   | Chandigarh                  | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 31   | D&N Haveli and Daman & Diu+ | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 32   | Delhi                       | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 33   | Jammu &Kashmir*             | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 34   | Ladakh                      | -      | -      | -      |      0 |
| 35   | Lakshadweep                 | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
| 36   | Puducherry                  | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
|      | TOTAL UT(S)                 | 0      | 0      | 0      |      0 |
|      | TOTAL (ALL INDIA)           | 5      | 2      | 0      |      0 |

Source: Crime in India

Note : '+' Combined data of erstwhile D&N Haveli UT and Daman & Diu UT during 2017, 2018 & 2019

*' Data of erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir State including Ladakh during during 2017, 2018 & 2019

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