Chandigarh, Nov. 14 -- The prevalence of myopia, better known as shortsightedness or nearsightedness which causes distant objects to appear blurry, has doubled among schoolchildren in the last six years, a study by the Post Graduate Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) revealed. According to an all-India study, carried out by the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, in 2020, the national average for incidence of myopia among schoolgoing children stood at 7%. The latest PGIMER study, conducted between August and October 2026, showed that 597 (14.2%) of the 4,211 children surveyed at 15 schools - eight urban and seven rural - had the condition. Notably, the period between 2020 and 2026 saw an increased screen use by schoolchildren due to the Covid pandemic which necessitated online classes for over two years. According to the PGIMER study, the prevalence of myopia was higher among rural children (16.26%) than their urban counterparts (13.06%), contrary to findings from earlier studies that generally associated myopia with urban populations. Lack of awareness was also more pronounced among rural children, with 46.5% of those diagnosed unaware of their condition, compared with 35.6% of urban children. This is the first time in nearly 50 years that the actual prevalence of myopia among schoolchildren in Chandigarh has been assessed through a survey. The previous such study was conducted in the 1970s, when the prevalence stood at 4.7%, according to a 2013 AIIMS New Delhi study titled 'Is myopia a public health problem in India?' The PGIMER survey is part of the nationwide school eye-screening initiative, AIOS See India, launched in December 2025 by the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) in collaboration with the Union ministry of health and family welfare. The project has selected 60 districts across India and aims to screen 1.8 lakh schoolchildren from Classes 1 to 12 to assess the prevalence of myopia. Dr Jaspreet Sukhija, faculty member at the Advanced Eye Centre and head of the Chandigarh district component of the AIOS See India project, said the findings were crucial as India lacked comprehensive data on the prevalence of myopia among children. "After Covid, we have seen a spike in myopia cases. Increased screen time, reduced outdoor activities and digital classes are among the reasons," he said. He added that the findings could help shape national guidelines on children's screen-time usage. Several countries have introduced restrictions, with the United Kingdom recommending age-based screen-time limits and Australia prohibiting social media use by children below 16 years. Dr Usha Singh, head of the Advanced Eye Centre, called for stricter restrictions on digital exposure among children. "A digital curfew, especially at night, or no use of phones and social media until the age of 16 should be implemented in India too," she said. Explaining the health risks associated with early-onset myopia, Dr Savleen Kaur, faculty member at the Advanced Eye Centre, said the condition could have long-term consequences as children's eyes were still developing. "The onset of myopia at a younger age is a major disadvantage. With early onset, there are greater chances of the spectacle number increasing, which can lead to an increase in eye size and, consequently, retinal complications, a higher risk of glaucoma and cataract, besides affecting quality of life," she said. Dr Kaur said myopia was more prevalent in Asian countries than in developed nations, including the US and European countries. Early schooling involving prolonged near work, reduced outdoor activities and genetic predisposition were among the contributing factors in countries such as India, China and Taiwan. While non-modifiable factors such as genetics, age and ethnicity cannot be changed, she said that greater attention was needed on modifiable risk factors, including prolonged near work, screen exposure, time spent outdoors and readingdistance....