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 Saturday said that he is "shocked" by the reported statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the "Shakthi scheme had resulted in loss of revenue for the Bengaluru metro".

Under the 'Shakti' scheme implemented by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, women can avail free travel in state-run buses.

Hitting out at Modi, the state deputy chief minister said that the prime minister lacks information on the Shakthi scheme and hence he has said that it has impacted revenues of the Bengaluru metro.

"Namma metro has earned a revenue of Rs 130 crore in the last one year. Footfalls too have gone up by 30 per cent for the same period. Bengaluru metro is limited to Bengaluru, while the Shakthi scheme is rolled out, keeping in mind people from across the state," he told reporters here.

The Shakthi scheme is rolled out by the Congress to ease the burden of price rise and inflation on women, Shivakumar said.

"Metro is a joint initiative between the State and the Centre and it has done well over the last one year. Someone seems to have provided incorrect information to the prime minister," he added.

"I would like to convey to the PM that the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru metro are being run efficiently while offering the Shakthi scheme to women. Women are taking 60 lakh trips per day in Karnataka. They are very happy with the Shakthi scheme. Many other states are expressing interest in Shakthi scheme," he said.

PM Modi has reportedly spoken in an interview on bus and the Metro rail services and whether or not he made a specific reference to Karnataka is not known.

When asked if there was a shortage of buses in North Karnataka, Shivakumar said, "We have already taken a decision to buy 1,000 new buses. Of these, 100 buses have been allocated to Ramanagara district. Buses will be allocated to North Karnataka as well.

"We are not looking at making profits from KSRTC. We are only ensuring it doesn’t make losses. The government is reimbursing the cost of tickets under the Shakthi scheme," he said.