PIL in HC against installation of CCTV cameras in classrooms of government schools in Delhi

A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the AAP government's decision to install CCTV cameras in classrooms, saying it violates the privacy of students and teachers.

The petition, moved by two associations representing parents of students in government schools and teachers, has sought removal of all those cameras which have been already installed in the AAP government-run schools and deletion of footage recorded by them.

The petitioners have sought to quash two cabinet decisions of 2017 and two circulars of 2019 of the Delhi government authorizing the installation of CCTV cameras inside classrooms of its schools and live streaming of the footage to parents and third parties.

The petition has claimed that the fundamental right to privacy of teachers and students has been violated as their consent was never obtained before the cameras were installed and footage was streamed live.

It has also claimed that in the absence of a data protection framework under the statute, obtaining and storing children's data on private computer servers was "fraught with danger".

The petition has contended that in the absence of a mechanism to prevent secondary copies of the videos by people who have access to the recorded footage, there was a danger that it "could be misused for child pornography".

It has also claimed that constant monitoring may have a psychological impact on the overall development of children.