Jadavpur: Installation of CCTV cameras began at Jadavpur University after several proddings from the high court.

The university’s registrar said the education department sanctioned ₹68 lakh for the project in November.

“Cameras have been installed in different parts of Aurobindo Bhavan, the administrative headquarters, the civil engineering
department and other parts of the campus,” acting registrar Selim Box Mandal said.

The university last month told the high court it would install the CCTV cameras by February 24.

Some CCTV cameras had been installed at the gates of the campus and hostels in September 2023, a month after a student died after being allegedly ragged by senior students at the main hostel.

In this round, cameras are being installed all over the campus, including the main administrative building, said a JU official.

Installing CCTV cameras in Aurobindo Bhavan stands out because the university authorities had told a
visiting team from the University Grants Commission in September 2023 that it had to dismantle the CCTV apparatus installed in the administrative building following student protests in 2013.

On September 6, 2023, the university briefed the UGC team probing the alleged ragging that the CCTV setup was taken down following a 52-hour gherao by
students.

A JU official said CCTV cameras were a must because “they help the university authorities ascertain the offenders in case of trouble on the campus”.

On February 20, two Jadavpur University teachers were injured when they tried to stop a fight between two factions of students.

The clash erupted between supporters of the SFI and We The Independents (WTI) over the election of student representatives to the university’s internal complaints committee. The teachers were identified as Rajeshwar Sinha and Lalit Mohakud.

The university has constituted a committee to probe the latest incident.

“CCTV footage is a must to probe and ascertain who the real offenders are when such clashes break out,” said one official.

A JU official said the court had earlier raised concerns about the delay in installing cameras while hearing
a petition that claimed there was no proper security on the campus after a group of radical Left students allegedly
harassed and heckled education minister Bratya Basu on the campus on March 1, 2025.

The students were demanding an immediate commitment to the resumption of campus elections.

When an undergraduate student, Anamika Mondal, was found dead in a water body on the campus in September last year, Anamika’s father, Arnab Mondal, had said: “Had there been
enough CCTV cameras, we would know what happened. The campus lacks both lights and cameras. Even after a student died two years ago, why didn’t the authorities
act?”.

In December, the university appointed 30 security personnel and two security supervisors for the campus.

A higher education department official said they were providing JU with ₹7.6 lakh every month as salaries for the guards.