Mumbai, Feb 25 (NationPress) In light of growing worries regarding digital addiction in children and its negative repercussions, the Maharashtra government has formed an expert Task Force that includes education specialists, mental health professionals, child counselors, tech experts, management advisors, medical practitioners, legal analysts, and senior officials.

State Information Technology Minister Ashish Shelar announced in the Legislative Council that a thorough report on the issue will be presented before the next Assembly session begins.

This announcement followed a "Calling Attention" motion initiated by MLCs Niranjan Davkhare and Sanjay Kenekar, who underscored the escalating threats posed by social media addiction to youth and minors.

Other lawmakers, including Pravin Darekar, Chitra Wagh, Bhai Jagtap, and Uma Khapre, engaged in the dialogue, probing whether the government intends to impose age restrictions on gaming applications and social media, as well as whether there will be limitations on digital ads aimed at minors.

Minister Shelar clarified that written instructions were issued on February 2, 2026, to Virendra Singh, Principal Secretary of the IT Department, to establish this task force.

"There are around 4 crore children under the age of 18 in the state, with nearly 3 crore under 15. Their mental and physical well-being is a significant public concern," he noted.

He added that a committee comprising members from both legislative houses would be created to discuss the matter further.

The Task Force is tasked with performing a comprehensive examination of various aspects, including child protection and digital safety, impacts on mental health, education and overall growth, responsible usage of digital platforms, cultural and gender-specific variations in usage, disparities between urban and rural settings, and economic effects, along with reviewing existing national and international digital safety frameworks, according to the minister.

Referencing a study by the organization Responsible Netism, Minister Shelar highlighted that India leads globally in mobile game downloads.

With the global gaming market valued at over $200 billion, the domestic gaming sector in Maharashtra is projected to reach $8.6 billion by 2027. The study indicates that cases of 'Gaming Disorder' are sharply increasing across both urban and rural areas of Maharashtra. Data from five centers in the state reveals that 3 out of every 10 clinical cases involve gaming addiction. Moreover, a survey using the 'Internet Dependency Scale' in schools found that 40% of children are experiencing moderate to severe gaming addiction.

Minister Shelar asserted that while the authority to implement central laws rests with the Union Government, which is already addressing this issue seriously, the recommendations from Maharashtra's Task Force concerning legal changes will be officially communicated to the Central Government.

Additionally, the state aims to promote games that foster intellectual development through organized competitions.