Agency: After years of allowing students to carry and use mobile phones freely within campuses, the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) has now decided to impose a complete ban on their use during academic hours.
A new directive issued by the Office of the Vice Chancellor on 22nd September 2025 states that, starting 1st October, students across all RUB colleges will no longer be permitted to use their phones during lectures, tutorials, guest sessions or public talks.
Unlike the current practice where students often keep their phones with them in class or use them casually between lessons, the new rule requires that all phones be deposited in designated collection areas before any academic session begins.
They may only be used when a faculty member specifically instructs students to do so for classroom activities, and such permission must be clearly communicated in advance. The directive states, “Phones maybe used when expressly permitted by the faculty for classroom related activities requiring their use.”
In a conversation with a student from Sherubtse College, she said, “We understand that phones can be distracting, but many of us at Sherubtse also use them for research and class updates. Instead of a full ban, I wish they had introduced a more flexible system.”