HYDERABAD: Stressing the need for installation of CCTV cameras in schools, a division bench of the High Court directed the chief secretaries of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states on Tuesday to file their counter-affidavits on the steps being taken to prevent copying in public examinations.
The bench of acting chief justice Ramesh Ranganathan and justice Shameem Akther was dealing with a PIL filed by Srinivas Guntupalli of Eluru in Andhra Pradesh against the inaction of both the state governments to take effective steps for conduct of public examinations in schools, including prevention of mass copying and guided copying.
Pursuant to an earlier direction of the court, both the governments filed their affidavits informing the court of the steps taken by them to prevent mass copying, installation of CCTV cameras in various schools and colleges, the number of incidents where students resorted to copying and the action taken against them.
After perusing the affidavits, the bench said that there were reports in the media of mass copying during public examinations in March and April last year. Raising an objection to the contents of the said affidavits of the governments, senior counsel S Niranjan Reddy, appearing for the petitioner, pointed out that the number of cases registered in Telangana was shown very less while the incidents of malpractices reported were high. As for AP state, it had not registered even a single case under the 1997 Education Act which mandates initiation of prosecution even against erring teachers/invigilators, he noted.