Why You Can’t Check the CCTV Camera Footage Anymore

On 31 January 2018, the Director of the Office of Student Life informed the students of the University about the institution of a new guideline regarding access to CCTV footage in cases of theft. Citing the university’s commitment towards protecting the privacy of its students, Ms. Rashmi Singh notified, that CCTV footage will not be made available to students in case of any loss of personal property on the University premise.The only footage that will be accessible to students will be that of the CCTV cameras installed outside the library in case of any loss of personal property kept in shelves there. In a short interview with me, Ms. Singh emphasised that discourse about access to CCTV footage and privacy has persisted since the university was inaugurated. She added that at the beginning of the current academic year, the concerns were sincerely accentuated to the senior leadership.

However, discourse wasn’t restricted to the senior leadership and did trickle down to staff members, such as ex-president of the student government Kc Sachin and other student representatives such as Resident Assistants and YIF Committees. Kc Sachin often acted as a link between the House of Representatives and the administration. This liaison has raised several questions in the minds of students: why was there only one student representative present to negotiate with the administration on such a crucial matter? Student representatives cited conflicting schedules as the reason behind their absence. This arrangement has left a majority of the student body disgruntled at the fact that they did not have a voice in creation of this new policy.

A conscious attempt to make it as representative and as inclusive as possible resulted in the conversation becoming a three to four months long process. Ms. Singh clarified, “it was through student feedback, that access to footage of CCTV cameras in front of the library was made possible”. It had been argued that the library is an institutional space and that there needs to be a system responsible for managing the safety of student belongings.

Since Ashoka doesn’t have a mechanism that ensures the safety of the same, it was agreed upon that footage for the library will be available to students with approval from Ms. Rashmi Singh.

Another question looms over the ‘degree of preciousness’ of the object/objects that are lost. In such situations, it becomes virtually impossible to set standards around the same and have differential attitudes and provisions over such a subjective matter. Ms. Singh responds to this apprehension by assuring that the concerned student may reach out to any member of the administration, who would in turn help solve the issue in the best way possible without making CCTV footage accessible. Some of these recourses might include reporting the loss at the Lost and Found Department, spreading the search for the object through word of mouth and sending out messages or e-mails for the same. 
 
 Ms Singh also also mentioned, “at certain exceptional occasions of loss, it is not as if we are going to be blinded by the policy in place, and by all means the intention is to help and support”. She asserted that the decision hasn’t been instituted looking only at the sheer number of requests to view CCTV footage that reached the IT department, the administration, and herself. When there existed no clear policy regarding the access of this nature, the college did provide footage worth of hours. It is at this point in the interview that Ms. Singh contests the legal aspect of such a doing. The privacy of individuals belonging to the University is being seriously compromised in such a scenario. While the institution is not encouraged to issue the new guideline by mistrust in student motives to access CCTV footage, it must be taken into consideration that misuse of the same might lead to harmful consequences for any individuals: students, faculty, and staff members alike.

There is an important and rare exception that extensive discussion has allowed for, that is highlighted by Ms. Singh. She says “In the rarest of the rare situations we keep the provision of footage, if there has been a serious incident on campus and committees like CASH (Committee against Sexual Harassment) or CADI (Committee against Disciplinary Infractions) would request. The process now, is that the only space where that approval (of accessing CCTV footage) will come from, is the Vice Chancellor and the Pro Vice Chancellor.”

While students suffering from the loss of personal property might have to take slightly more complicated recourses, the administration maintains that the overall sense of privacy and security on campus is being reinforced through the introduction of a guideline of this nature. Although there is no report or any database on the lost personal belongings, the institution of this new policy begs the question whether theft has increased on campus?

Rohini Sharma, Class of 2020.