Visually impaired school staff need not use biometrics

IN SEPTEMBER, THE DOE HAD INTRODUCED AN AADHAARLINKED BIOMETRIC ATTENDANCE SYSTEM IN ALL ITS SCHOOLS

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (DOE) has exempted visually challenged staff members employed at its schools from using the Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance system. The move comes after the National Blind Youth Association (NBYA) submitted a representation to the Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal and the Delhi government seeking the relaxation of rules for visually challenged employees.

In a circular issued on Thursday, the DOE, said, “The National Blind Youth Association submitted a representation to Delhi L-G regarding exemption from Aadhaar-based biometric attendance for visually impaired government employee/teachers. The same representation was received in this office and the competent authority has considered their request on humanitarian grounds and decided to allow only visually impaired teachers/ employees to continue with the old system of marking attendance.”

The DOE had, in September, introduced an Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance system in all its schools. The new system requires employees to enter the last six digits of their Aadhaar number first and then punch in their attendance. The officials have to mark attendance two times a day.

According to some visually challenged teachers, it had become a tough task for them. “It was really difficult for us to stand in queues and request fellow employees to enter our Aadhaar card number and then punch in the machine. Also, the biometric devices installed in schools do not make any sound to confirm if our attendance was marked. We are really relieved with the development. Now, we will mark our attendance on an official register the way we used to before,” Rajesh Chug, a political science teacher at Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Subhash Nagar, said.

Mahesh Kumar, a teacher at the Government Boys’ Senior Secondary School in Uttam Nagar, said there were instances when despite reaching early, he could not mark his attendance on time, because there was no one available to enter his Aadhaar number. “The new system was really difficult for us. We were completely dependent on fellow staff members to mark our attendance. I am glad the DOE has addressed our issues,” Kumar, who is also a member of the NBYA, said.

Ever since the government introduced biometric attendance systems in its schools, teachers have complained of several technical issues. In October, a group of teachers had approached the DOE, urging it to install more than one biometric machine in their schools to avoid long queues. The DOE then allowed schools to install one machine for every 50 employees.