Mangaluru: Amid growing concerns over the impact of social media on children, the Congress legal unit in Karnataka has urged the state government to introduce a structured media literacy and critical thinking curriculum at the school level to address misinformation and promote responsible digital behaviour.
Former government advocate and Dakshina Kannada District Congress Legal Unit president Manoraj Rajeev on Monday submitted a detailed proposal to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, Home Minister G. Parameshwara, Law Minister H.K. Patil, and Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, calling for awareness-based education rather than restrictive measures alone.
In the proposal, Rajeev highlighted that the rapid spread of misinformation, fake news, digitally manipulated content and emotionally charged narratives on social media platforms has begun to significantly influence young minds. He pointed out that students, increasingly exposed to digital media, often lack the tools required to critically assess information, making proactive educational intervention essential.
The Congress leader suggested that the School Education and Literacy Department introduce a constructive and constitutionally aligned media literacy module across Karnataka schools. He stressed that the proposed curriculum would remain strictly non-political and non-partisan, focusing instead on enhancing analytical skills, civic awareness and responsible digital citizenship.
According to the proposal, key objectives of the curriculum would include teaching students to differentiate between facts, opinions and misinformation; developing skills to verify information using reliable sources; creating awareness about digital manipulation such as edited images and deepfakes; and promoting constitutional values including freedom, equality, secularism, fraternity and responsible citizenship.
The proposal also outlines age-appropriate content. At the primary level (Classes 4–5), students should be taught the basics of identifying rumours and verifying information before sharing. Middle school students (Classes 6–8) should be introduced to media awareness, misleading headlines and emotional manipulation. At the high school level (Classes 9–12), the curriculum should focus on advanced critical thinking, the role of media in democracy, constitutional values and responsible online conduct.
To ensure neutrality, Rajeev recommended safeguards including curriculum design by an independent academic committee, teacher training programmes, and the use of practical case studies without reference to political entities. He also suggested forming an expert committee to examine whether the subject should be introduced independently or integrated into existing social science or civics courses.