JOIN USThere is no blanket ban on use of mobiles at the graduate and post-graduate levels, but there are restrictions and conventions on how to use the phones. Lecturers who teach at the pre-university, degree and post-graduate level themselves say there is no uniform policy on mobiles, while there are informal regulations and understanding between the teachers, administration and the students.
Their contention is that there is no clear policy on mobiles at any level and that there is ambiguity on the use of mobile phones at the pre-university, degree and even post-graduate levels.
Professor Sudha Sitaraman, who has taught in colleges in Bengaluru says that she has never seen circulars issued to students not to use cell phones inside the campus. “Given the way social interaction is in today’s globalised world, there is no way you can block students from coming into campus with phones,” she says.
However, the teachers expect students to switch off the phones when in the class room. “We also expect students to be sensitive in not using them while walking in the corridors or around the teachers’ rooms. If this is followed, the atmosphere is fairly cordial and does not disturb the sense of learning in the institution.”
Sitharaman says the mobile phone cannot be banned in today’s world of instant communication. “There cannot be a ban on cell phones after the way in which society has changed. There can only be some regulations on where and when phones should be used. We haven’t come across any government decision to have a policy for use of mobiles and we haven’t received any such circular. Each college deals with the situation differently. There is no policy on mobiles in Karnataka, for instance.”
On the shooting incident in Bengaluru that killed a PU student, Sitharaman says the issue is not one of use of mobiles or not. “The killing has nothing to do with the phone. It has to do with the nature of the relationship - we have to investigate why the relationship went the way it did, not about whether the killer or the victim was using cell phones. That is purely a statist response. The nature of the relationship is independent of the means and device you use in an interaction. A history of their relationship alone will tell us how the entire episode came to be.”
Dattaterya M, Associate Professor says there are conventions on mobile phone use, but they are not very strict and formal. “We expect students to put their mobiles on silent mode when they are in class, during seminars or important events. We haven’t had a policy from the state government on how mobiles should be used once they are brought inside campuses. At our campus, we have never had any problems so far.”
The associate professor is certain that “there is no question of making or receiving calls when in classroom. Still, sometimes there are a few backbenchers who play with the mobiles. We ask them to walk out of class so they don’t disturb other students and it will be a lesson to all others who choose to do that. Overall, it is not possible to impose a blanket ban on cell phones as the nature of social interaction has completely changed globally.”
Srihari Menon, a city degree college student says: “We should be allowed to bring in cell phones in to the campus, but not to the classroom. I agree with regulations on when and where the cell phone has to be used inside the campus. A ban altogether is harsh.”
Maithrey Kumar, who has just moved from PU to a degree college, says: “Cell phones should be allowed inside the campus, but not inside the classroom. Our college also has frequent checks by squads, so I don’t bring my phone into the class room. We have been provided with lockers to keep our phones. So we use the phones only after we finish class. That’s a good idea, and is also feasible.”