Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, July 17: In a decisive move to clamp down on rising campus misconduct, the Karnataka Department of Higher Education has made the installation of CCTV cameras compulsory across all public and private universities, as well as government, private, and aided degree and polytechnic colleges in the state.

The directive, issued via an official circular, expands upon an existing policy that had already enforced CCTV surveillance in engineering colleges. The order now brings all higher education institutions under its ambit.

This sweeping measure follows a worrying spike in incidents involving students engaging in drug abuse, ragging, sexual harassment, and other illegal or unethical activities within campuses. Officials believe constant video monitoring will act as both a preventive and investigative tool to curb such behaviour.

The department has instructed principals of all universities and colleges to take immediate action towards the installation of functioning CCTV systems. Institutions that already have surveillance infrastructure in place must submit operational status reports by July 21 to the Department of Collegiate Education.

A senior official stated, “This is not just about surveillance — it’s about creating a safer, more accountable environment for students, faculty, and staff.”