In partnership with

Good Morning. As per a pandemic-era study, 60% of Indian children are using phones for instant messaging. Also, many 10 year olds are on Facebook and Instagram, even though it’s against the rules. Most countries are proactively trying to stop it, like Australia’s social media ban for teens, China’s age-gating and much more. Should India be more active to save its young?

In other news, IndiGo could face capacity cut this holiday season and some of these routes could land in Air India’s kitty. Meanwhile, India’s quick solar capacity addition may become a bane for power producers as transmission infrastructure to evacuate the electricity is yet to be built.

Should Indian Parents Allow What Silicon Valley CEOs Restrict?

Australia sparked a global policy debate last week by restricting social media access for children under 16. 

While critics fret over the practicalities of the enforcement, Canberra has accurately diagnosed a crisis that transcends borders. 

It is time for India, which has been deliberating this issue on the periphery, to move from low-key discussion to decisive regulation.

The anxiety over digital addiction in general, and among children specifically, is the one issue that unites Indian parents across the political, economic and social spectrum. 

Look Who’s Scrolling 

There is already much work being done in this space, for instance, by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which sits under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Consider the NCPCR’s pandemic-era study of 5,811 participants across six states. It found that 60% of children were using phones—often their parents’ devices—for instant messaging. 

More alarming was the rampant circumvention of age limits. The study revealed that 38% of 10-year-olds possessed Facebook accounts and 24% were on Instagram, despite the platforms’ theoretical minimum age of 13.

The costs of this exposure are being paid in cognitive and physical health. Nearly 37% of children reported frequently reduced concentration levels, and 24% admitted to using smartphones in bed, a habit directly linked to sleep disorders and anxiety. 

The NCPCR also met with representatives of social media platforms in November last year in the context of child sexual abuse material and emphasised the need for enhanced safety features on social media platforms; with a focus to keep children safe from predators and explicit content.

A separate study by the Amity Institute of Forensic Sciences published by the World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics corroborates this, linking excessive scrolling to stress, anxiety and depression.

While some of these studies are slightly old, the context could have hardly improved.

Don’t Target Ads@Children

Like many countries, India already has the legislative backdrop to make a move.

The IT Rules of 2021 obligate platforms to curb harmful content, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023 explicitly prohibits data fiduciaries from tracking children or targeting them with ads. But these are more like guardrails; and the current crisis requires a gate.

A Missed Jackpot 

The Government has also proven it can act swiftly against digital harm when it chooses.

In August, the government cracked down on ‘real money games’, effectively curbing an online betting industry that even attracted billions in venture capital. 

The Government correctly prioritized social welfare over investor returns, saving countless youth from gambling away their—or their parents’ income. 

The move was executed with rare clinical precision and speed involving both houses of the Parliament.

The challenge now is to apply that same resolve to social media. 

Emulating Australia’s legislative ban is one path, but technology offers others. 

China, for instance, employs a ‘minor mode’ linked to identity verification, which restricts children aged 8 to 16 to just one hour of daily access. 

While Beijing is not the most appropriate model for governance for a democracy like India, the efficacy of its technical controls is undeniable.

A prudent Indian policy would likely blend these approaches: strict age-gating technology, school-level bans and awareness, and parental education.

Silicon Valley House Rules 

If there is any lingering doubt about the necessity of restriction, one needs only look at the household rules of Silicon Valley’s elite. 

Bill Gates, Tim Cook, and Peter Thiel have all famously limited screen time for children in their families. 

And for a long time.

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple until his death in 2012, revealed in a 2011 New York Times interview that he prohibited his kids from using the newly-released iPad. 

"We limit how much technology our kids use at home," Jobs told reporter Nick Bilton.

Last week, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan joined the chorus, telling Time magazine that his children’s use of media platforms is controlled and restricted.

“We do limit their time on YouTube and other platforms and other forms of media,” he said. 

If the architects of the algorithm won’t let their own children consume it unchecked, why should India’s parents be expected to?

Solar Capacity Shines Low

Nearly 4,300 megawatts of capacity across 26 solar power projects in Rajasthan is languishing; as commensurate transmission systems are yet to be commissioned. These projects with a cumulative worth of around Rs 20,000 crore are facing complete daytime curtailment, industry sources told PTI.

Backdrop: Rajasthan has around 23 GW of commissioned renewable energy capacity, while transmission capacity stands at about 18.9 GW. Despite the 765 kV Khetri-Narela transmission line, only 600 MW of additional transmission capacity became available, while over 4,300 MW was simultaneously operationalised.

What This Means Going Forward: The projects set up by Adani, ReNew, Serentica, Juniper, Zelestra, ACME and Amp Energy, are supplying power under the temporary general network access (T-GNA) framework.

Air India To Fly Higher?

Air India has offered to operate up to 275 additional flights this December. This is after the government ordered 10% capacity cut for IndiGo, in order to rebalance routes during the holiday season.

Setup: Air India also sought clarity from the government on how long IndiGo’s curbs will remain, so that it can plan capacity accordingly. As much as 10% of IndiGo’s 1,900 routes will be cut, a senior government official told Times Of India.

What’s Next?: Some of these routes will be given to players like Air India, Air India Express and Akasa. The move will check a single airline’s domination, the official adds.

‘India Can Export Green ATF’

India is positioning itself as an export hub for sustainable aviation turbine fuel (ATF), believes Sameer Sinha, CEO of Triveni Engineering. The country can leverage surplus ethanol capacity and lower carbon intensity than rivals like Brazil.

Flashpoint: Sinha said in an interview to PTI that India can export to Southeast Asian countries as Singapore is a major aviation hub; and to Dubai etc on the West Coast. Triveni is among the few Indian companies exploring sustainable ATF production facilities.

Context: As per Sinha’s projections, the earliest alcohol-to-jet sustainable ATF plants could become operational by 2029, assuming policy clarity. Until then, India will rely on limited production of this form of ATF from used cooking oil for 1-2% blending.

Tighter Pollution Curbs

India has tightened anti-pollution measures around Delhi and adjoining areas as the national capital’s air quality worsened to the worst so far this winter season. The official air quality readings rose to over 450 which can be defined as ‘severe’.

Implications: The curbs include banning the entry of older diesel trucks into the city, suspending construction, including on public projects. It also imposed hybrid schooling for children.

Context: Delhi’s lower air quality is a result of smog during winter as dense air traps emissions from vehicles, construction; as well as stubble burning from neighbouring states.

✍️ Zinal Dedhia, Kudrat Wadhwa, Shubhangi Bhatia, Katya Naidu | ✂️ Rohini Chatterji | 🎧 Joshua Thomas

🤝 Reach 80k+ CXOs? Partner with us.

✉️ Got questions or feedback? Reach out.

💰 Like The Core? Support us.