CRPF Troops Were Banned From Playing PUBG Mobile

PUBG Mobile is one of the most played mobile game in the world, which based on PUBG, an FPS battle royale PC game. This game has been all the rage in India and even faced a ban in some states due to its addictive gameplay. The first ban was about the concern of youth neglecting their study and the increase in their aggression.

This time, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) ordered commanding officers to implement a restriction on the junior soldiers playing PUBG Mobile with their smartphones.  A report by a senior CRPF officer was posted the paramilitary force’s Delhi headquarters, indicated that PUBG Mobile addiction was disturbing "the jawan's operational capabilities".

According to an officer of the Bihar unit, the game prevented junior soldiers from socializing with each other along with side effects like sleep deprivation due to reduced physical activity. CRPF troops mostly consist of young people, who are the target market of PUBG Mobile, so they get easily absorbed into the game. They were so engaged in the game that their performance and attitude were greatly affected. It disrupted their ability to operate and the troops became more aggressive.

A pamphlet was distributed to all CRPF formations and the force’s anti-insurgency CoBRA unit to stop this condition. The app will be forced to delete from all mobile phones in the units and there will be random checks to make sure everything is in order.

It's understandable why there are so many concerns about this game since there have been so many cases involving it. Recently, a 14-year-old boy hanged himself to a ceiling fan because his parents criticize him for playing the game too much. The boy was Shreyas and his father is a Nizamabad 19th division corporator.