26 surveillance cameras, ex-military men at the university to prevent fights

Kolkata, August 27: In the aftermath of a death due to a fight in the Jadavpur University dormitory, the university authorities decided to install 26 security cameras on the campus and replace the security guards recruited from abroad with ex-army men to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

According to university insiders, 26 surveillance cameras will be installed in various corners of the campus including all entrance gates to the campus and the entry point of the student residence where the tragedy occurred on August 10.

All the CCTV cameras installed there will be powered by artificial intelligence (AI) with an innovative neural network that takes into account all possible errors before an incident is reported thus reducing the rate of false alarms. The estimated cost of installing 26 CCTV cameras, with audio and video recording capability, will be around Rs 38,000.

The university will replace the current Outer Guards with retired or former military personnel whose applications have already been sent to the District Relocation Area (East).

Those familiar with the affairs of the university said that a total of 30 retired or former army personnel will be dispatched for this purpose, and their tasks will be mainly to carry out intensive patrols inside the university campus after the end of the scheduled working hours on campus. The estimated annual cost of this number will be around Rs. 3 crore.

Insiders at the university admitted that there was still objection among some of the university’s students to installing surveillance cameras or deploying former military personnel for security purposes.

“What they fail to understand is that if the anti-breach guidelines as set by the UGC are not implemented, there could be negative repercussions for the university in the future which may ultimately hinder the careers of the students,” said one student. A faculty member at the university, on condition of anonymity.