Digital technology has rapidly changed many areas of society, including higher education. Universities are increasingly using digital tools to improve administration, communication, security, and learning systems. This development has led to the idea of the smart campus, where technologies such as biometric systems, facial recognition, digital attendance, learning platforms, and surveillance cameras are used to manage campus activities. These systems help institutions work more efficiently and improve safety and convenience for students and staff. In India, the right to privacy gained constitutional recognition through the landmark judgment of Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India, where the Supreme Court declared privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. Following this development, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 was enacted to regulate the collection, use, and protection of personal data in the digital age. This paper examines how digital transformation in smart campuses affects privacy rights. It studies the constitutional basis of privacy in India, the role of surveillance technologies in educational institutions, and the legal framework under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. The study also discusses the challenges of balancing institutional security with individual privacy and suggests measures for developing responsible and privacy-respecting smart campus governance.
Rajkumar Vijay Kataktalware (Sat,) studied this question.