Smart Cities Infrastructure Helps Solve Crime, Improve School Enrollment: Studies | Latest India News

NEW DELHI: The integration of Smart Cities Mission (SCM) surveillance systems with policing has improved evidence-based policing, and the introduction of smart classrooms has led to an increase in overall school enrollment, according to two separate reports.

Reports by IIM Bangalore professors, which were among 50 national-level impact assessment studies commissioned by the government, also highlighted shortcomings in existing practices. The SCM Impact Assessment was conducted as a flagship mission launched in 2015 and was completed with delays for approximately 10% of the projects.

Both studies were published on Thursday. An official statement issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on Friday said that over 59,802 CCTV cameras and alarm boxes with real-time monitoring systems have been installed in 93 cities across India under Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCC) under Union Government SCM.

“The implementation of intelligent surveillance systems has reduced incidents of harassment, assault and other crimes in areas with strong security measures. “Women in these three cities reported greater confidence in their assessment of public spaces,” the statement said, citing reports.

The report also recommended that ICCCs improve data collection, monitoring and reporting mechanisms in various zones. “There is currently a discrepancy in the number of cases that request footage from the ICCC, and of those requests, only less than 50% of requests are granted,” the report said. In the improved scenario, the authors suggested that the ICCC should aim to provide footage of crimes in 75% of such cases.

The authors, a group of IIM professors, relied on site visits to three cities: Chennai, Nagpur and Tumakuru and used secondary data from all smart cities.

The report noted that smart city initiatives focusing on security and surveillance in Nagpur, Chennai and Tumakuru have led to an increased sense of security among the city’s population. The authors also cited data from the Nagpur Police Department which suggests that the presence of CCTV cameras has led to a significant reduction in crimes against women, with the number of reported cases of harassment and assault reducing by 14% in 2022.

Smart classrooms

Under the SCM program, 71 cities have created 9,433 smart classrooms in 2,398 government schools. As part of the assessment released on Thursday, there was a 22% increase in overall enrollments, according to data reported by 19 cities between 2015-16 and 2023-24. During the same period, the percentage of female students increased significantly, from 20.82% (in 40 cities) to 27.38% (in 51 cities).

However, the report points out that data gaps, especially around gender parity and socioeconomic background, highlight the need for more comprehensive data collection. In their report, they highlighted the issue of inconsistencies in data reporting, socioeconomic variability and logistical problems in data collection.

They also recommended maintaining detailed documentation, standardizing data collection procedures, improving teacher training, and fostering a collaborative environment for feedback. They stressed that continuous monitoring, detailed data collection and tailored interventions are necessary to address existing disparities and optimize the benefits of smart classroom initiatives.

The authors conducted detailed analyzes at the city level of Ajmer (Rajasthan), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Tumakuru (Karnataka).

The report indicated that teacher training improved their comfort and preference for using smart objects in the classroom, with upper secondary teachers demonstrating the highest levels of comfort compared to others. Based on their interactions, the authors found that teachers generally agree that the smart classroom initiative has improved student learning experiences and attendance in selected smart cities in the country.

They further said that digital libraries in cities like Raipur and Tumakuru have provided essential educational resources and supported students’ preparation for competitive examinations.