Banning of Cell Phones in Educational Institutions: How Fare Is It?

Recently the Cell Phones are banned in the educational institutions in India. The ban was imposed after two incidences. In the first incidence, the two students of senior classes of DPS Delhi had an oral sex. The boy secretly filmed the incidence and then placed the clippings on the cell phones. It was seen by many people and enjoyed. The clippings reached an engineering graduate student of a prestigious engineering college. He placed those clippings on a CD and placed it on a trading web site Bazee.com. He gave a catchy title "DPS girls having Fun". The CDs were sold and the guy made some money. The incidence brought the law into action and the seller boy was apprehended. The CEO of the selling portal was arrested. The boy and girl of DPS were removed from the school. The schools banned the cell phones.
The second incidence occurred in Punjab in Khanna. It involved the students of A. S. College. They tried to kidnap a girl. First, it was reported that it was a mere incidence of eve teasing. Then came the news, that the management of the college had taken a serious note of the incidence and had rusticated the students involved in the incidences. The crime was committed. The law took it course and the students were arrested. The Khanna college banned the cell phones.
The question arises that how far the use of the cell phone are cause of the crime. The crime could have committed even without the phones.
Secondly, the cell phone is definitely an improved technology for communication. It has facilitated the communication. It has become a boon. The people may argue that it has reduced their privacy and intruded into their freedom but this no criticism.
The use of cell phone or for that any technology does not promote any crime or become the cause of the crime. The technology is nothing in itself. It the use of the technology and how one absorb the technology in ones own life that gives meaning to technology. Technology in itself is nothing. But in India, every thing is taken in a very foolish manner.
Does the use of public address systems a nuisance? Every morning the Gurudwaras and Mandirs start blowing at full blast in the early morning. Every next day, a jagrata continue to deep in night disturbing the serenity of the evening or the middle of the night. Every marriage season is a season of noise irritant for the neighbors. No body object to that?
People drive their cars at high beam at night with additional lamps. They become the major cause of accidents or damage to the cars of other people. No body object.
Cell phones and internet are boons. They are the technology which would take us to new modern era. The way the printing press brought Renaissance, similarly these two technologies will bring new Renaissance.
In European countries they are using internet, computers and related technology for promoting education. They call it as ICT projects. In India also Eduset is being used for promoting education through these technologies. But, I do not see it around me. I do not find my fellow colleagues using computers and technology as their teaching tools. There was a remark when a question was raised that computers should be used and therefore every one should learn computer. The remarks was that they were now suppose to learn these fads in old age. It is all bullshit, such was the remarks.
When the Cell phones came they said, it was another fashion. Now every teacher is carrying it. But they are banning it for the students. They do not use computers. They consider internet as something as a work of a Satin. But their son is in a foreign country, they would like to talk to him on internet. One of our Old colleague started skipping his regular walks. The friends learnt that he had started visiting cyber café. For what, was he using Internet? He was hocked to chatting. Now this was the only use of Internet which could have thought of.
My other colleague kept on pestering me for long time to show him something ‘Real’ on the internet. Another colleague castigated the young teachers of computer section of misusing the internet when one of the young appointee showed his inability to show him pornographic site.
There is something missing in the reasoning faculty of the society while finding faults with new technology and placing bans on it. The society can never stop the march on the technology. It is improving and taking place in our life. If crime is committed with the help of some device, the fault is with social practices and virtues and not with the technology. The fault is with our own understanding of our value system and the manner in which we are following them or putting them to misuse. There is no misuse of technology. It is only for college debates that there can be a topic of misuse of technology. In real life, there is no such thing. Even if court is putting ban, then the worthy court should reconsider its decision. Has not court given a verdict contrary to one of its own judgement which it had given in case of CDMA technology versus GSM technology.
The ban on cell phones is ridiculous. If the camera phones are culprit, then it is the man not the technology. It is failure of the value system. But the society, the sanctifying society will never accept it.