Kathmandu: The popular multiplayer internet game PUBG has been banned in Nepal following a court order which said that it was having a negative effect on the behaviour of children and youth, according to a media report.

The Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) on Thursday directed all the internet and mobile service providers to ban PlayerUnknown's Battleground, commonly known PUBG, the Kathmandu Post reported on Thursday.

According to police, those found playing the game after the ban will face arrest.

The Kathmandu District Court gave the permission to ban PUBG on a petition filed by the metropolitan crime division citing negative behavioural affect in children, the report said.

After the court permission, the division then sent a letter to the NTA requesting it to ban the game.

Based on a letter from the crime division, we have ordered all internet and mobile service providers to ban the game, Purushottam Khanal, acting NTA chairman, was quoted as saying.

PUBG is a game in which a maximum of 100 players drop on an island and fight to be the last one left standing. The players have to search for arms and other equipment after landing on the island and compete to win the game.

Players can team with their friends and create crews that they can venture onto the island with. Cooperative play also sees players healing fallen comrades, strategising in teams and holding positions for better defensive play. Players can chat with each other and on mobile phones.

We received a number of complaints from parents, schools and school associations regarding the effect of the game on children, Senior Superintendent of Police Dhiraj Pratap Singh, chief of the Metropolitan Crime Division, said.

Singh said that they also held discussions with psychiatrists before requesting the court for permission to ban the game.

There have been many shocking incidents due to the game in other countries. We have decided to ban the game before anything unfortunate occurs in Nepal, Singh said.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said that he does not need announcements to be made in the State Budget to carry out developmental works.

He said this highlighting the developmental works in his native district of Bengaluru South.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, is scheduled to present the 2026-27 Budget on March 6. This would be Siddaramaiah's record 17th budget.

"No need to have expectations from the Budget. With or without the Budget, we are doing our work," Shivakumar said in response to a question on what can be expected from the Budget.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "Others need the Budget. We don't. It's not that we need to take up work only if it is announced in the Budget."

Citing the example of flagship Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) in Bengaluru South district, Shivakumar said, "You get a survey done across the country. Bengaluru South district has 25 government schools, each one costing Rs 15 crore. We have ensured it. Has anyone else done it? Was this in the Budget? We created it, it is our concept. Now there is a state level policy for 2,000 such schools."

Further pointing out that during the JD(S)-Congress coalition government under H D Kumaraswamy's Chief Ministership in 2018-19, he had ensured a medical college was announced for the then Ramanagara (now Bengaluru South) district, he said, "But the next BJP government under B S Yediyurappa cancelled it and took the medical college to Chikballapura district. Now, we have given medical colleges to both Ramanagara and Kanakapura (taluks in the Bengaluru South district)."

He also highlighted private medical colleges are coming up in Channapatna taluk and one between Ramanagara and Kanakapura taluks.