Students at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) would now be fined every time they forget to carry their ID cards while entering or exiting the campus.
In a recent notification, Soumyo Mukherjee, Dean, Student Affairs at the institute informed the students that a fine of Rs 200 would be imposed on students found not carring their ID cards while entering or exiting from any of the gates at the institute.
Before this notification, students said that they would be usually just given a warning and let off in most cases, or in some cases the security office asked the roll number and verified it with their photo in the system.
"It's not just about ensuring that only students, faculty and authorised persons enter the institute premises. Some students do not carry any identification on them when they leave the campus. If they meet with an untoward incident, there would be no way for the police or anyone nearby to identify the person involved. Apart from identification the ID card provides vital details like the age, contact number and blood group of the holder apart from the institute contact numbers. If informed, the institute can initiate a cycle of helpful measures, including informing the parents of the student" stated an aricle published in Insight — the student magazine. Institute sources said that the norm is put into place as students failed to adhere to the norms of carrying an ID on several occasions. The money collected through these fines will be used for miscellaneous purposes, like funding of the Student Wellness Center (counselling care center).
