MUMBAI: A women’s college in Aurangabad has banned mobile phones on campus stating that the move is aimed at improving students’ focus on education.
“We were searching for measures to enhance the process of learning and we found that students could concentrate better when they are not allowed to carry their cellphones to classrooms,” said Dr Maqdoom Farooqui, Principal of Dr Rafiq Zakaria Women’s College.
The ban, which was imposed 15 days ago, has not only helped students focus better in classrooms, but also improved their interaction with their peers, Dr Farooqui said.
The college offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses and more than 3,000 women have been enrolled for the course.
When asked what if there is an emergency and the students have to use cell phones, Dr Farooqui said that a couple of handsets have been provided in the reading room to tackle emergency situations.
“Initially, the decision was taken as a punishment for overuse of cell phones, but now students and staff are cooperating in the effort to enhance the learning and teaching process,” he claimed.
Students, who travel to the college from far away places, have to deposit their phones once they enter the campus and collect them on their way home, he added.
Students and teaching staff too hailed the decision, saying that while it felt like harassment, the benefits of keeping away from cellphones, like improved concentration, are now being experienced.