Only smoke and no fire in Delhi University

In a blatant violation of the antismoking ban in public places students and even professors are openly lighting up across the campus the administration and police are mute spectators Delhi University is everyones favorite definitely credit also goes to its sprawling puffhappy campus Already declared a smoke free zone a year back the campus is not ready to chuck the butt Students smoke openly here and even the staff and professors dont hesitate to indulge in itfearless A video grab of a student smoking at North CampusOn February 15 2008 the university was announced a nosmoking zone and later on October 2u00a0 the Centre also enforced smoking ban in public placesThe university profusely advertised the idea to educate students and teachers on the dangers of smoking Teams consisting of teachers and students were formed in every college to advocate the cause All the efforts however to clear smoke in DU have gone in vain Despite posters campaigning against smoking and paintings against the usage of tobacco across the campus students and professors can be seen buying cigarettes and smoking them at various stalls in the vicinityAs the ban has little effect many cigarette stalls are flourishing in and around the campus And if the shopkeepers are to be believed local police are lending them a helping handEvery month we pay a fixed amount to the beat policemen and carry out our business smoothly After all we are making some good money said a shopkeeper doing brisk business near faculty of law north campus on the condition of anonymityGurmeet Singh proctor DU said We are taking smoking on the campus as a serious offence and the offenders will definitely be punished This year a close watch will be kept on the students through the CCTV cameras which have been installed across the campusMost of the colleges are also planning to install the cameras on their campus he saidAdmitting that the campus has hardly been affected by the smoking ban Hansraj College Principal Dr SR Arora said It is not uncommon to see students having a puff on the campus It is not possible to stop them until and unless cigarette stalls are removed from the campusAgreed Dr P C Jain SRCC Principal Despite the strict guidelines in a majority of colleges most admit that stopping students from smoking is difficultThe need of the hour is to be strict and take punitive measures We also need to educate the students and make them aware he saidThe onus of collecting fine from the lawbreakers relies on the antismoking cell and Delhi Police is supposed to give assistance for the purpose But irony is they are mute spectators as people are blatantly violating the law The antismoking cell comes under Delhi government Health services and was established in 1997 one year after Delhi Antismoking Act was passedu00a0According to the rules anyone found smoking is fined Rs200 Thereafter a fine of Rs 500 is to be slapped on the person if the offence is repeatedUp in smokeAntitobacco Act Consumption of tobacco products by minors may be banned in the country and under the Indian Tobacco Control Act even the sale of these harmful items within a 100metre radius of any educational institute is not allowedBan on smoking in public places The Centre revised the definition of public space under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce Production Supply and Distribution Act 2003 From October 2 2008 public space came to mean work places shopping malls cinema halls hotels with or without lodging boarding houses guest houses refreshment rooms restaurants banquet halls discotheques canteens coffee houses pubs bars and airport lounges