New certification rule slows CCTV installation at railway stations

Since April, vendors supplying CCTV cameras with facial recognition software (FRS) need to get them certified by the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) directorate

Mumbai: The installation of high-end closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at railway stations across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has slowed down owing to a recent change in certification requirements over concerns of surveillance by Chinese manufacturers. The development may create some hurdles in passenger safety in the short term, especially on the Central Railway network, as the government railway police (GRP) and the railway protection force (RPF) rely on CCTV cameras to detect and solve crimes. But once the certification process is streamlined, installation will proceed at pace, boosting security in the long run, railway officials told Hindustan Times.

Over 80% of CCTV cameras and other surveillance equipment used in India are manufactured in and sourced from China, said officials (Hindustan Times)

In April this year, the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) issued a directive saying vendors supplying CCTV cameras with advanced features such as facial recognition software (FRS) – which helped police identify and nab Shariful Islam, the assailant who broke into actor Saif Ali Khan’s home in Bandra in January – need to get them certified by the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) directorate under the ministry. The rule was imposed owing to concerns regarding the possible threat of Chinese surveillance through the CCTV cameras and components.

“STQC mandates complete control over product source codes, image sensors, firmware and hardware, rendering equipment procured from China non-compliant,” said a senior railway official.

Over 80% of CCTV cameras and other surveillance equipment used in India are manufactured in and sourced from China, said the official noted. “With the new certification rule, vendors will have to rejig CCTV cameras by replacing chips and software,” he added.

“Now, the Research, Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in Lucknow will inspect the CCTVs that are being procured by the railways, check if they adhere to protocols listed under the STQC and then clear them for installation,” said an official.

Since the process is time-consuming, the government has allowed vendors to sell and install their existing stock of CCTV cameras without certification, said a member of the Federation of All India IT Associations, requesting anonymity.

“Only fresh stock needs to have STQC clearance,” he said.