The Delhi government has decided to install CCTV cameras in classrooms of Delhi schools. (FILE PHOTO)
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation, or PIL, challenging the Aam Aadmi Party government's decision to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in classrooms in Delhi schools and live stream the feed to parents of students.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi did not agree with the submission that the installation and transmission of live feeds of CCTV to the parents would infringe the fundamental right to privacy as the children are incapable to give consent and the parents' approval has not been taken.
"We are not inclined to entertain the petition," the bench, also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, said.
Earlier, the top court had issued notice to the Delhi government on the PIL of 20-year-old Amber Tickoo, a third year law student at National Law University, challenging the decision of the Delhi government.
The live-streaming of CCTV feeds will be done to random people which will be a breach of privacy, the PIL had claimed.
There were adolescent children in schools and it will be a breach of their privacy if the CCTV feed was live streamed, it said.
The plea had sought setting aside of the Delhi government's decision of September 11, 2017 for installing CCTV cameras in class room and life streaming the CCTV feeds to the parents of children.
It contended that these decisions of the government were in direct contravention of the verdict of the top court which has unequivocally upheld the Right to Privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has dismissed concerns about safety and privacy of students over the government's plan to install CCTV cameras in classrooms, saying the live feed will be available only to parents and the access will be password protected.
"The feed of classrooms will only be made available to parents, who will be able to access it after getting a secure password for a smartphone for a limited period of time daily without any audio. Teachers, parents and students are happy with this latest initiative and our government will prove the sceptics wrong once again like it has done repeatedly on its initiatives in the field of education," Mr Sisodia said in a statement.
"We have decided to install the CCTV cameras after careful planning. Well thought out Standing Operating Procedures (SoPs) have been put in place. It is beyond any reasonable understanding as to why cynics are creating a hue and cry about the project," he added.