The mobile phone is a curious animal: Nobody can do without it, but everybody is wary of its potential as a public nuisance. Be it in cinema halls, hospitals or press conferences, mobile manners are questionable in India.
To deliver people from their suffering, the Centre, taking a leaf out of foreign governments, has got down to the business of teaching cell phone users mobile etiquette.
In a directive to service providers, the department of telecom (DoT) said: “In the interest of the public and for the proper conduct of telegraph services, the licensor with immediate effect makes it obligatory on the part of all licensees to create awareness for the proper use of mobile phones.”
The directive asks the service providers to provide literature on mobile etiquette in English and regional languages to any customer buying a mobile phone handset and a SIM card.
The etiquette is a set of standard rules — much of it commonsense — but this is the first time that the government is formally issuing it.
Among the points the directive makes are: mobile phones should be switched off or in vibration or silent mode in public places like hospitals, aircraft,places of worship, cinema halls and auditoriums; they should not be used while driving; they should not be used to click photographs of people without their consent; and ring tones should not be set loud.
In several developed countries, restrictions on the use of mobile phones have been put in place by both the government and private bodies. Schools in the US, Canada and Europe prohibit mobile phones in the classroom. In Britain, a student can be disqualified if he or she is found to possess a mobile phone during an examination.
In Finland, service providers along with public transport operators and communications authorities have launched a campaign teaching people how and how not to use mobile phones.
And in Australia, Britain and Canada, local authorities have a zero-tolerance policy towards the use of mobile phones while driving.With agencies
Comments