Delhi govt defends installation of CCTV cameras in classrooms
New Delhi: The city government on Friday opposed before the Delhi High Court a challenge to its decision to install CCTV cameras in classrooms of government schools, saying that right to privacy is not absolute and the system would ensure safety of children.
The Delhi government lawyer told a bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma that not only has the Supreme Court rejected a similar petition before it, but there has been no complaint to the authorities by any parents against such installation in their children's classrooms.
"Not a single complaint addressed by any parent of any student studying in these schools. There are 728 government schools in which it was proposed to be installed and out of 728, in 601 it is already installed and functioning for the past 3 years," Gautam Narayan, the counsel appearing for the government, submitted before the bench, that also comprised Justice Subramonium
Prasad.
In its affidavit filed in response to a petition by the Delhi Parents Association against the decision, the Delhi government said that the decision to install CCTVs came in the aftermath of certain child abuse reports in school premises as a "legitimate, well-considered and thought out policy measure in the larger interests of the stakeholders of the process of education in the government schools ie students, parents and staff of the schools."
It argued that the decision was not a "knee-jerk reaction" to the reports of sexual abuse in September 2017, but was being deliberated for more than two years.
It maintained that the installation of cameras does not infringe right to privacy.
The court listed the matter for hearing on January 13 and granted time to the petitioner, who is being represented by advocate Jai Dehadrai, to file its response to the stand of the Delhi government.
"One of the major factors for installation of CCTV cameras in classrooms has been to ensure the safety and security of children studying in schools," the affidavit filed by the Delhi government said.
"In light of the incidents of sexual abuse and bullying becoming rampant in classrooms, the ineffectiveness of other measures to check and control such incidents had required the government to think of alternative solutions - for which purpose, the pilot project of installation of CCTV cameras in classrooms was envisaged by the Respondent No 1 (Delhi government)," it said.
