When the world is racing on the highway of connectivity, smartphones will be prohibited for married women belonging to a sect of the Jat community in Rajasthan’s Jalore district from Republic Day in 2026. The diktat was issued at a caste panchayat held in Ghazipur village on December 21.
The panchayat ordered that no daughter-in-law or young woman from 15 villages in the Bhinmal-Khanpur area carry camera-enabled mobile phones to weddings, public gatherings, and even while visiting neighbours, from January 26. They can use only basic keypad phones for voice calls.
The Sundhamata Patti panchayat of the Chaudhary clan took the decision “with consensus”, citing concerns of mobile addiction and the impact of screentime on children’s eyesight. Panch Himmataram read out the proposal, which was passed as a resolution after discussions among all panchayat members and elders, who agreed to implement the rule.
‘Allowed for academic purposes’
Community head Sujanaram Chaudhary presided over the panchayat meeting. The resolution stated that girls pursuing education would be allowed to use smartphones at home “strictly for academic purposes”, but would be barred from carrying the devices to social events, weddings or neighbourhood visits.
