Mangaluru: From confiscation to fines, PU colleges in the education hub of Karnataka are trying all tricks in the book to stop students from using cellphones. The St Aloysius PU College has decided to make students pay for flouting the rules – it’s Rs 1,000 for Android phones and Rs 2,000 for iPhones.

The rules of the department of pre-university education (DPUE) bar students from carrying mobile phones into the campus and classrooms. College managements are entitled to take action against students.

At St Aloysius PU College, when all measures – including relaxation of the rules – failed, staff recently conducted a sudden raid and seized about 800 cellphones from I PU students. To return the confiscated cellphones, the management at first imposed Rs 5,000 as fine. It later scaled down the amount a little and made students pay Rs 1,000 for Android phones and Rs 2,000 for iPhones.

“Unlike other PU colleges, our institution’s rules are in favour of students. They are allowed to bring cellphones which can be deposited with the class mentor,” said Fr Melwin Mendonca, principal of St Aloysius PU College. . “We have installed 15 coin booths as well and asked the staff to offer phones to students if they want to make urgent calls.” He said the college calendar set out the cellphone rules clearly, urging students to give up gadgets at least for the 7-8 hours spent in college.

One college in Moodbidri, say sources, had imposed Rs 25,000 as fine. Other colleges resort to confiscation, with some returning the phones only on completion of course. Others expel students if they are caught with phones a second time.

Dr Ananth Prabhu G, advisor at Vikas Group of Institutions, says: “We don’t impose any fine on students as there is no provision for colleges to impose a fine. During orientation, we clearly instruct students not to bring phones. In spite of the instructions, if someone brings phones to the college, we confiscate the gadgets and return them only after the students complete PU.

Or their parents can come and collect the phones. Security guards at the entrance frisk the students with metal detectors to avoid this menace. If it is repeated, we suspend the student.”

The same rule is applied at Expert Educational Institutions. Vice-chairperson Ushaprabha N Nayak blames parents for the menace. “We confiscate the phones, later call parents to tender an apology. The student is not allowed to attend classes until parents come. If the practice still continues, the student is suspended,” she said.