After students, now CRPF jawans are getting addicted to the online gaming app PUBG (PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds), which is posing a threat to their operational performance and aggression besides leading to attitudinal issues.
The addiction to PUBG is also minimising the interaction between the jawans and leading to less camaraderie and bonding, sources said. The CRPF's Bihar unit has directed all DIGs and company commanders to ensure that the gaming app is deleted from all phones and conduct random checks on all such phones at regular intervals, they pointed out.
PUBG has become a raging point of discussion in India with cases of mental harm to kids or teenagers being reported due to the online gaming addiction.
In January this year, the Gujarat Government had issued a new circular stating that district authorities should now ensure that there should be a ban on students for playing PUBG in schools. The notice said that the PUBG ban was necessary as children are now getting addicted to the online multiplayer battle royale which was "adversely affecting their studies".
Senior CRPF officers said, "Addiction to online gaming has impacted the operational capabilities of jawans. Many of them have withdrawn themselves from socialising with their fellow jawans. Besides, it has also led to sleep deprivation owing to less physical activity in the wake of addictive hooking up to the game." An order issued by the CRPF's Bihar unit on May 6, said that CRPF troops, young personnel, are addicted to the PUBG app. It's affecting their ops performance and posing aggressive and attitudinal issues, it outlined.
Lesser interaction with colleagues is affecting bonding and comradeship between the force's personnel, it said.
"All Deputy Inspectors General to ensure and instruct all unit/company personnel under your command to get it deleted/deactivated from their mobile phones. All company commanders will ensure that this app is deleted in all phones and random check of phones should be done," added the circular sent to all the formations of Central Reserve Police Force and Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).
CRPF is the lead Central paramilitary force for counter-insurgency, anti-terrorist and anti-Naxal force deployed in a major way in Jammu and Ksshmir, Naxalism-hit States and the Northeast.