CCTV in hostels’ main entrance an invasion of privacy, say Sherubtse students

CCTV- Kanglung CollegeThe decision of Sherubtse College in Kanglung to install Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the main entrance of the hostels did not bode well with the students. Many students say, it is an invasion of their privacy, and feel that they are being watched, always.

The college installed over 40 CCTV cameras in and around the college campus, recently. The cameras were installed at some strategic locations like classroom corridors, library rooms, IT centres and science labs.

Cameras have also been installed in the main entrance gate and main entrances of the hostels.

A student, Sherub Dorji, said before the cameras were not installed at the entrance of his hostel, he used to feel free. “But now when I enter, there is this thing watching me and I feel like doing something deliberately in front of the camera.”

He said they welcome CCTV cameras in the college campus. The college has over 50 buildings with infrastructure worth millions of Ngultrum. They feel the security of the college and to safeguard its facilities should be taken into account.

Also, there is a shortage of manpower to look after the collage’s infrastructures.

However, many students like Sherub Dorji say the hostel corridors should be left alone. “Even though I am for the installation of cameras in the campus, I am against the ones in the hostels’ corridor.”

The College Director, Tshering Wandgi, said the CCTV cameras were installed with no intention to monitor the behavior of the students or to correct their civic sense. “In the process if it makes them more cautious, more disciplined, I think it will be in the best interest of the college.”

But their main intention, Tshering Wangdi, said was to ease the responsibilities of their security guards, to put little pressure on the management, and maintenance, among others.

The College Director said there is a huge pressure on the three security guards to monitor the huge campus with so many infrastructures. “That’s why we thought we will take advantage of what technology has to offer us. We had a discussion with the faculty. We even made a presentation to the students…”

Tshering Wangdi said despite so many advertisements the college placed for security guards, only six had applied for the job. Of the six, he said, they chose three.

The installation of CCTV camera is already proving to be effective in preventing students from taking away computer parts like mouse and keypads from the IT labs. Earlier, the college administration, said computer accessories like mouse and keypads went missing from the lab.

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