The district of Dang, situated in the western state of Gujarat, is home to Saputara hills — a famous tourist attraction. According to a report from the Times of India, the local authorities issued an order last week that categorizes taking selfies as a criminal offense: The district has witnessed several selfie-related accidents in the past. In 2018, a woman slipped while taking a selfie, only to survive by falling into bushes. [Read: Why entrepreneurship in emerging markets matters] While it makes sense to ban self-portraits on tourist spots, it’s bizarre to prohibit them in the whole district. Imagine getting penalized for taking a selfie with your friends in a restaurant. According to a study by the US National Library of Medicine, India tops the list of selfie-related deaths from 2011 to 2017 with 259 fatalities. After the publication of the report, India asked its states to declare accident-prone tourist spots as no-selfie zones.
