Varsities skip biometrics
Two-month past deadline, colleges yet to implement biometric attendance
Colleges affiliated to various universities are not implementing biometric attendance for students even though the two-month deadline given by the government lapsed a week ago. The colleges reportedly fear that most students will lose eligibility to write exams if biometric attendance is implemented.
The colleges continue to opt for manual marking of attendance. Students who fall short of attendance can pay a penalty and write the exam. Mr Sharan Raichur, president, Telangana Engineering Joint Action Committee (JAC), said, “There is a lot of absenteeism because the students are disinterested in the faculty who mostly comprise teachers with BTech or MTech degrees. They prefer going to tuitions and coaching classes.”
Mr Raichur added that if biometric attendance was implemented, the absenteeism would be detected and students would not be allowed to write the exams. “That is why colleges are following the manual attendance system and collecting an attendance shortage fees later,” he said.
The Telangana Engineering College Managements Association has alleged that apart from the colleges affiliated to the JNTU-H, none of the colleges affiliated with state universities were implementing biometric attendance despite strict instructions issued by the state government.
Association president Mr Goutham Rao said, “Colleges affiliated to Osmania University and Kakatiya University are not implementing the biometric attendance system despite government orders. There should be a uniform policy and all universities should implement the biometric system.”
Association member Prof. G.V.K. Reddy said, biometric attendance was mandatory for PG students studying in JNTU-H-affiliated colleges. “Those who do not follow biometric attendance may face difficulties during the issuance of hall-tickets. Students and colleges may face difficulty in claiming fee reimbursement from the Government too,” he said.
Biometric attendance was mandatory for MTech, MBA, MPharm programmes. “It will be interesting to see how universities adopt the recent Supreme Court ruling on the use of Aadhaar for biometric attendance,” Prof. Reddy said.
Prof. Yadaiah Yadav, JNTU-H registrar, said, “We have given instructions to all affiliated colleges to follow the biometric attendance system. If the colleges do not follow it, students are generally not allowed to write the examination. If we get any such complaint, we counsel them to follow the biometric system.”