Colleges banning internet access in this age of globalisation is a rule that still baffles many heads. Most IITs impose internet restrictions for students in their hostel rooms, a rule that was brought in place almost a decade ago. Today, this rule has lost its significance owing to the pool of alternatives for internet use like smartphones, dongles, etc. Several student protests have been suppressed and institute authorities now no longer consider them an issue of concern.
IIT Bombay was the earliest among
the IITs to impose an internet ban. A misfortunate incident of campus suicide
is what led to this rule. In the following years, other IITs like IIT Madras,
IIT Delhi, and IIT Guwahati also followed suit. However, this rule is only
restricted to the student hostels, while internet is available 24/7 in the
department labs, libraries and institute buildings. The idea behind imposing
such a law is more or less the same throughout IITs. In IIT Guwahati, internet
is banned from 2 AM to 5 AM so as to ensure students get adequate sleep at
night and it is banned through the day from 8 AM to 5PM as an incentive for
students to attend lectures instead of staying in their hostel rooms. Prof
Soumya Mukherjee, Student Affairs Dean, IIT Bombay says, “We cannot restrict
how a student uses his personal belongings like mobile phones. From the
institute’s end, our efforts are towards disciplined use of time.”
Students in these institutes have
debated against this rule for being redundant. “We have smart phones with 4G
internet and iPads with dongles. We achieve fruitful tasks even in the wee
hours of the night using these tools,” says Sanchit Kalra, a student at IIT D. Another
student, Chaitanya Sangani, from IIT Guwahati, says, “The ban hasn’t led to any
increase in attendance during lectures. In fact we can still browse Facebook or
Twitter during lectures through our phone from anywhere in the campus.” As long
as students can fulfil their internet needs through smartphones and personal
internet facilities, they are not affected by the LAN ban.
While social networking is
allowed during the hours internet access is available, certain other websites
with inappropriate content have been permanently banned throughout the campus.
Nitish Reddy, a student of IIT M, says, “There was a time when internet was
only available in cyber cafes or though wired connections. Newer channels for
access have now been developed in India. Certain other sites that have been
banned can be accessed through our personal devices.”
On the other hand, IIT Kharagpur
students are still alien to the idea of a ban on internet access. “We enjoy unrestricted
internet services 24/7 across the campus. I don’t see what issues such a ban
can resolve, since the college’s network is no longer the dominant means of
internet access,” says Ayudh Datta, a student of IIT Kgp.
Any student or professional today
will crib about the inconvenience restricted internet access causes in fast
running lives. Students staying up all night for their projects or exams have
to work from the discomfort of institute labs and libraries rather than the
comfort of their rooms. “We usually hurry our college work or postpone it to
avoid spending the night alone in the department labs,” says Chaitanya.
Despite such wide disregard for
the rule, IITs are still persistent about its fruitfulness. The plan to impose
a ban on only LAN and not on personal internet is a huge flaw in its
implementation. It is time to evaluate the purpose of this law in view of development
in accessibility to internet over the years.