The first official ban on cellphones in campus was effected in engineering colleges in the State. On September 1, 2005, VTU issued an order banning mobile phones at its university centres and all affiliated colleges. VTU decided to “switch on” a host of “mobile special squads” to make sure the 1.6 lakh engineering students across the State followed its diktat. Two years down the line, squads have been dismantled and college managements entrusted with the task of implementing the ban. That being the case, the rule has been relaxed in some institutions, where students can bring cellphones to the campus but using them in classrooms is a strict no-no. In some institutions, the total ban still remains.

“We are implementing the rule strictly. Cellphones are a nuisance. Students who bring cellphones will have to deposit them at a designated section and take them back while going home”, said Dr S C Sharma, Principal, R V College of Engineering. At Bangalore Institute of Technology, students are allowed “limited” use of cellphones inside the campus but not in classrooms. “If anyone is found using cellphones inside the classroom, it is confiscated,” said BIT Principal B S Jayaprakash.

Dr Jayaprakash, who was part of the initial campaign launched by VTU to ensure students followed the ban, recalled it took some time for students to part with their handsets. The ban was also prompted by the increasing number of exam malpractices involving cheating via cellphones.