Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sep 19: In a decisive crackdown aimed at safeguarding student lives and restoring strict campus discipline, the Karnataka government has rolled out a rigid 9-point rulebook for educational tours.

Breaking away from routine leisure excursions, the Department of Collegiate Education has slammed a total ban on students clicking selfies or shooting social media reels during college-sponsored trips.

The drastic policy shift comes in the wake of mounting tragedies where students, distracted by mobile phone cameras, wandered into perilous zones, prompting authorities to pull the plug on casual campus junkets.

Here is the hard-hitting blueprint of the new regulations:

• Zero tolerance for selfies and reels: Capturing selfie videos, photos, or filming reels is strictly outlawed throughout the itinerary. The department has underlined that the core agenda of any trip must remain purely academic.

• A hard 5-day cap: Educational excursions can no longer stretch into extended holidays; the maximum permissible duration is capped strictly at 5 days.

• Mandatory departmental clearance: Organising a trip without prior written authorisation from the Department of Collegiate Education is now a punishable offense. Detailed route maps and exhaustive lists of destination points must be submitted well in advance.

• Parental undertaking required: No student can pack their bags without submitting a formal declaration form co-signed by their parents and submitted directly to the department.

• Monsoon travel blackout: Citing severe safety risks, educational tours have been completely barred during the rainy season.

• Permanent faculty presence compulsory: Delegating tours solely to guest lecturers is finished; full-time, permanent faculty members must accompany the student contingent at all times.

• Strict staff quotas and women's representation: Accompanying faculty members cannot exceed a total ceiling of 4 personnel. This squad must mandatorily include two female lecturers and one 'D-group' support staff member.

• Local police alert: Before wheels start rolling, comprehensive route details and schedules must be formally logged with the local police station having jurisdiction over the travel path.

• Ironclad protocols for hazardous terrain: Venturing near high-risk environments—such as rivers, coastlines, waterfalls, deep jungles, or steep cliffs—demands rigorous precautions. High-risk activities like trekking or swimming require certified professionals on-site alongside valid local safety clearances.

Bringing the hammer down on institutional negligence, the government has explicitly warned that these comprehensive mandates apply universally across government, private, and aided colleges alike, with severe disciplinary penalties awaiting any institution that dares to flout the rules.