PIL seeks CCTVs in TN schools, HC asks govt to look into it

The Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu government to consider within two months a representation seeking installation of CCTV cameras in schools as a means to check growing campus violence and sexual abuse.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh, passing orders on a PIL, directed the School Education Secretary to consider the December 8, 2014 representation of the petitioner within two months.
Earlier, the court orally observed that parents should first start educating children at home.
Petitioner K K Ramesh of Madurai claimed that increased usage of the Internet and cell phones by students and teachers has led to sexual abuse and harassment in school and colleges campuses thereby causing massive demoralisation among them, often resulting in violent activities including murder.

Citing examples, he referred to various incidents including the murder of 39-year-old teacher Uma Maheswari in a private school in the city and the arrest of the headmaster of a panchayat school in Tirunelveli for allegedly sexually harassing a nine-year-old girl student.
"If the present situation of sexual abuse and harassment is left to continue, the entire student community is to loose its moral and spiritual roots of the society thereby causing a menace and degradation of moral values and ethics in the mind of future citizens of India," he said.
Ramesh sought a direction from the court to the authorities to instruct district collectors and chief educational officers to install CCTV cameras in the classrooms of all schools in the state and disposal of his representation.