Karnataka govt mulls mobile phone jammers in colleges

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Nov 29, 2019: The state higher education department has decided to instal mobile phone jammers in classrooms to prevent malpractices during examinations and also to prevent students and teachers from using phones in classrooms.

Developed by Bengaluru-based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the device is suitable to be installed in classrooms as to Deccan Herald.

 

Higher education minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan and BEL authorities were set to meet on Thursday to discuss its implementation but the matter has now been postponed due to the bypolls. According to sources from the minister’s office, “the meeting will be convened after bypolls”.

Speaking about the decision to instal jammers, department officials told DH that students were using mobile phones during lectures in violation of rules.

“Not just students, there are complaints against teachers for using mobile phones during class hours. The idea of installing jammers is to prevent such unethical practices,” said a senior official of the department.

Mobile phones and other gadgets are also being brought to the examination hall though they are banned.

“Despite the ban, students continue using Bluetooth, smartwatch and other technologies to indulge in malpractice during examinations. Installation of jammers inside classrooms will help to put an end to it,” said an official.

The idea, the official said, is to make mobile phones and other electronic gadgets inactive within classrooms. “As most of our engineering, medical colleges and university campuses are Wi-Fi enabled, we need to concentrate only inside classrooms,” the official added.

There are over 430 government, 417 private-aided and 1803 private-unaided degree colleges, 200 plus engineering colleges and 300 plus polytechnic and diploma colleges in the state.

Recently, even the University Grants Commission (UGC) had asked all higher education institutions across the nation to install mobile jammers in examination centres.