The private schools and government institutions in Haryana have been issued an advisory to counsel students about a dare-based game which is claiming young lives worldwide. The advisory was issued by the Haryana Children Protection Commission (HCPC) to instruct students about the hazards of the Blue Whale Challenge, which has been hitting the headlines for a month.
In an attempt to keep the students from falling prey to this game, the HCPC has asked schools to also keep a close tab on students showing “abnormal” behaviour. The advisory further directs the management to educate students from class 5-12 about the deadly consequences of this challenge. As a preventive measure, the 17-point advisory also suggested deploying digital surveillance system in schools, installation of filters, firewalls, monitoring software mechanism and effective use of the internet.
Spread over 50 days, the Blue Whale Challenge reportedly instructs participants to complete 50 tasks that include self-harm, body mutilation and watching scary videos. The player is asked to share photos after finishing the different levels of the game. The game is spread via links on social media platforms.
The initiative was taken following the directives of the National Children Protection Commission (NCPC), said Ramesh Yadav, a member of the HCPC.
“We have directed all Haryana government and public school’s management to spread awareness among all students and at Gururgram schools. The schools have also been asked to closely watch and conduct proper counselling in case abnormal behaviour is seen in any student.”, Yadav said.
