CCTV Cameras to be Put Up in Kerala University Examination Halls

The Mahatma Gandhi University of Kerala has asked its affiliated college managements to put up CCTV cameras in the exam halls before 30 June, in order to check exam-related malpractices in the university. The university has notified these colleges that the implementation of the proposal should take place before the deadline.

According to the Vice Chancellor Babu Sebastian, “We will not allot exam centres to colleges that fail to comply with the guideline. All colleges, including self-financing institutes, have to install CCTVs inside examination halls before June 30.” The decision of the university came after the recommendation of Governor P. Sathasivan, who is also the chancellor of universities, in order to improve the transparency in examinations conducted in various colleges including self-financing institutes. He had told the vice chancellors to carefully and closely monitor the examination proceedings.

The colleges under the university have to get the facility certified by any government agency and they need to submit an action taken report back to the Vice Chancellor before the prescribed date. According to Mr. Sebastian, he had tried to implement the Chancellor’s recommendation and implement it before 31 December. But it got delayed due to the challenge from the self-financing colleges. Though the court of the state later directed the colleges to abide by the decision taken by the university and thus are asked to install the cameras before the deadline.

The visuals from the CCTV cameras would be stored centrally into a central facility. It would be played in future for ascertaining the fact that whether any candidate have copied from any other sources in the examination or not. It could be shown as proof by the invigilators to the university authorities in related cases of cheating in examination.