Sensitise teachers, students on Blue Whale Challenge: Maneka

New Delhi : Union minister Maneka Gandhi has written to all school principals, asking them to sensitise teachers and students on the Blue Whale Challenge, a social media “game” which has reportedly been linked to teenage deaths in several countries, including India.

The controversial internet game involves a number of tasks which have to be completed by the player in 50 days. It ends in the person taking their own life. “In view of continued incidents of #BlueWhaleChallenge deaths, our Ministry has sought active role of schools in tackling the issue (sic),” the WCD Ministry tweeted.

“The minister has issued letters to all school principals to sensitise teachers and students about Blue Whale Challenge. She has urged the teachers to be extremely vigilant about the behaviour of their students,” read another tweet. The ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) had earlier directed Internet majors — Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo — to immediately remove the links of the challenge.

The WCD minister had also written to home and IT ministers, raising concerns about the online game.