KOCHI: Students in most city colleges will now be under constant watch with increasing number of colleges installing CCTV cameras in their campuses. College authorities' claim that this will help them track student movement and also ensure that college property is not vandalized. They added that it will curb rogue behaviour and prevent ragging in the campus. However, student organizations claimed that it was an infringement on their rights and college authorities had installed CCTVs to 'spy' on them and 'curtail their freedom of movement'.
Many professional, arts and science colleges in and around the city have already installed CCTV cameras in their library, classrooms, examination halls, walkways, isolated corners and parking bays. Recently, even University Grants Commission (UGC) in a circular to educational institutes had asked them to install CCTVs as an anti-ragging measure. The first circular was issued in 2009 and another order in November 12, 2013 made it mandatory.
"CCTVs are a basic necessity in campuses. No ragging or sexual harassment cases were reported in the college, but we don't want to take a chance," said Harry Cletus, principal of the St Albert's College, Ernakulam. Similar opinions were shared by the principals of Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology in Kakkanad, Sacred Heart College in Thevara, St Teresa's College and Cochin University of Science and Technology where cameras have been installed.
But it was not easy for college authorities to install cameras. At St Albert's College, students had even damaged cameras right after installation. "But now they have accepted the decision", said a college.
It is this fear that has restrained Maharaja's College and Government Law College authorities from installing cameras. "We fear students with the support of major political parties will damage the device the moment we install it. But we will have to soon install cameras in the campus as UGC has made it mandatory to prevent ragging, harassment or eve-teasing inside the campuses," said a college principal on condition of anonymity.
"This is being done to target students actively engaged in fights for student rights. The facility can also be misused by a faculty," said SFI state secretary TP Bineesh, referring to an incident where CCTV footage was misused against a girl student in an engineering college in Alappuzha last year.
However, parents are of the opinion that cameras would definitely bring down untoward incidents and fights within the campus.
Many professional, arts and science colleges in and around the city have already installed CCTV cameras in their library, classrooms, examination halls, walkways, isolated corners and parking bays. Recently, even University Grants Commission (UGC) in a circular to educational institutes had asked them to install CCTVs as an anti-ragging measure. The first circular was issued in 2009 and another order in November 12, 2013 made it mandatory.
"CCTVs are a basic necessity in campuses. No ragging or sexual harassment cases were reported in the college, but we don't want to take a chance," said Harry Cletus, principal of the St Albert's College, Ernakulam. Similar opinions were shared by the principals of Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology in Kakkanad, Sacred Heart College in Thevara, St Teresa's College and Cochin University of Science and Technology where cameras have been installed.
But it was not easy for college authorities to install cameras. At St Albert's College, students had even damaged cameras right after installation. "But now they have accepted the decision", said a college.
It is this fear that has restrained Maharaja's College and Government Law College authorities from installing cameras. "We fear students with the support of major political parties will damage the device the moment we install it. But we will have to soon install cameras in the campus as UGC has made it mandatory to prevent ragging, harassment or eve-teasing inside the campuses," said a college principal on condition of anonymity.
"This is being done to target students actively engaged in fights for student rights. The facility can also be misused by a faculty," said SFI state secretary TP Bineesh, referring to an incident where CCTV footage was misused against a girl student in an engineering college in Alappuzha last year.
However, parents are of the opinion that cameras would definitely bring down untoward incidents and fights within the campus.
No comments:
Post a Comment