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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Wise Intervention

If the Centre’s response to the NEET protests has been an admixture of vacillation, force and defensiveness, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s unequivocal endorsement of Gen Z may prove to be the most politically astute intervention since the agitation began. By recognising the legitimacy of young Indians’ grievances instead of questioning their patriotism, Bhagwat may have prevented a crisis over examination leaks from becoming a lasting rupture with the ruling BJP’s future electorate. While...

Wise Intervention

If the Centre’s response to the NEET protests has been an admixture of vacillation, force and defensiveness, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s unequivocal endorsement of Gen Z may prove to be the most politically astute intervention since the agitation began. By recognising the legitimacy of young Indians’ grievances instead of questioning their patriotism, Bhagwat may have prevented a crisis over examination leaks from becoming a lasting rupture with the ruling BJP’s future electorate. While protesters are readily caricatured as troublemakers or political pawns, Bhagwat has consciously rejected that temptation. By insisting that young demonstrators are neither anti-national nor outsiders but India’s own next generation, he has reframed the debate from one of confrontation to one of responsibility. While the protests spearheaded by Abhijit Dipke and his Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) took a notably ugly turn, leading many citizens to cast aspersions on the motivations on the protestors and their credibility, the controversy over examination leaks is nevertheless a serious and burning issue reflecting deeper anxieties among millions of young Indians about fairness, merit and opportunity. Bhagwat’s admission that “something that shouldn’t happen” had indeed happened, and that such failures indicated “a deficiency” requiring correction, was an important recognition that government institutions must be capable of introspection. Equally striking was his understanding of generational change. His observation that his own generation accepted authority while Gen Z demands logical answers was a graceful acceptance that democratic engagement has evolved. Young Indians today question institutions because they have higher expectations of them. Mature democracies do not fear such questioning, and that is what Bhagwat’s remarks implied. His approach may carry considerable political significance for the ruling BJP. India is one of the world’s youngest democracies, with more than half its population below the age of 35. By 2029, Gen Z will constitute one of the country’s most influential electoral constituencies. Alienating them through dismissive rhetoric or excessive force would have been politically costly. Bhagwat’s unequivocal expression of trust - going so far as to say that if asked to trust blindly, he would trust Gen Z - offers a markedly different message. It tells young Indians that criticism of administrative failures need not place them outside the national mainstream. In doing so, Bhagwat may also have blunted attempts by politically motivated groups to convert legitimate student grievances into a broader campaign of perpetual confrontation. Every democracy contains forces that seek to transform dissatisfaction into lasting alienation from constitutional politics. The surest antidote is not denunciation but through engagement. By recognising the legitimacy of protest while emphasising dialogue and democratic methods, Bhagwat has reduced the space for those seeking to escalate anger into indiscriminate agitation.

Eyes Everywhere: How CCTV Is Solving Crimes in Real Time

CCTV may raise privacy concerns, but in cities where it's prevalent, crime has fallen by as much as 30 per cent.

Closed-circuit television, or CCTV, has become one of the most important instruments in modern forensic investigations. CCTV technology, which was first created in the late 1940s in Germany to monitor rocket launches, has advanced dramatically over the years. It now serves an important role in both preventing and solving crimes by giving visual evidence that may be used in court. CCTV systems have evolved from analogue tape records to high-definition digital footage with cloud storage, and artificial intelligence has made them smarter and more reliable than ever.


The use of CCTV footage in legal proceedings in India has become increasingly significant. In the case of Sonu vs. State of Haryana, courts relied heavily on video evidence for conviction. The courts also said that CCTV footage can be used as evidence under Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act if specific conditions are met. Recently, a major theft at a jewellery store in Delhi was cracked within hours with the help of CCTV footage that clearly showed the perpetrator’s face and movements. The Supreme Court of India, too, has emphasised the importance of surveillance. In the case of Paramvir Singh Saini vs Baljit Singh (2020), the court ordered the installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations and interrogation rooms, stating that this move would ensure accountability and transparency. The bench also stated that such footage could protect both citizens and law enforcement officials from false allegations.


Scientific advancements are expanding the capabilities of CCTV. A recent study focuses on applying AI algorithms to detect tampering in surveillance videos while maintaining the integrity of the footage. Artificial intelligence is also utilised for real-time facial recognition, object tracking, and behavioural analysis, allowing law enforcement agencies to prevent crimes before they occur. “CrimeTracer AI”, a contemporary AI tool, allows investigators to explore large amounts of video footage data using plain-language instructions, which significantly reduces the investigation time.


The use of CCTV in urban policing has been pioneered by experts in India, especially Dr. A.K. Viswanathan, a former Chennai Police Commissioner. Under his leadership, Chennai launched the "Third Eye" initiative, which included the installation of over 250,000 cameras across the city and the integration of facial recognition technology to increase public safety. On the forensic side, the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) have developed into nationwide centres for video forensics. Some industry leaders like Amped Software offer solutions for court-admissible video analysis.


Internationally, agencies such as Interpol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) offer recommendations and guidelines on the forensic treatment and handling of video evidence, promoting cross-border consistency. The insightful TED Talk titled “The Tech That Tracks You” offers insightful public perspectives on surveillance technology, balancing its benefits with concerns about privacy and ethics.


Despite privacy concerns, the presence of CCTV has consistently shown a reduction in crime rates in monitored areas, sometimes by as much as 30%. The forensic value of the technology lies not only in recording events but also in doing so in a way that can be verified, and AI is increasingly being used to find even the smallest digital changes. We expect CCTV's role in ensuring justice and public safety to only strengthen as it continues to merge with cutting-edge technology. For the average citizen, it brings peace of mind; for law enforcement, it is an unblinking ally in the quest for truth.


(Dr. Kumar is a retired IPS and forensic advisor to the Government of Assam. Bora is student of forensic at NFSU, Guwahati. Views personal.)

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