Engineering school in Andhra becomes first state-run school to install biometric attendance system in the Indian state

Becoming the first state-run educational institution in the state of Andhra to install a biometric attendance system on its campus, Andhra University College of Engineering (AUCE) has installed a new system to keep check on students and improve attendance campus-wide, The Times of India reports.

The system, which cost the school roughly US$9,000 to obtain was installed three months ago on a trial basis and uses thumbprint biometrics to verify identity.

So far, the system has only been used for first-year students, though the school is looking to expand it to all 40 departments for the next academic year. Previously, attendance was kept manually but now it will be automatically recorded on a devoted server on campus.

“The technology of biometric thumb impression has helped AUCE in improving the students’ attendance as well as punctuality,” AUCE principal, GSN Raju told the Times of India. “I don’t think this kind of system is operational in any other government educational university or institution in the state.”

Under the new system, each student will have to have their fingerprints registered in the system and then, each fingerprint profile will be assigned its own unique biometric code for verification. Besides checking attendance, this new attendance system will help detect discrepancies in photographs and thumb impressions of applicants who appear for the admission test.

Biometric systems are often implemented in educational institutions though, they are sometimes met with great resistance. As reported previously in BiometricUpdate.com, faculty members at Florida Gulf Coast University have rejected a proposal to reject systemic fingerprinting. Likewise, based on the concerns of parents, a school district in Maryland has been forced to halt the implementation of palm scanners within the school and students at Newcastle University have voted against the implementation of a biometric attendance system on campus.

Article Topics

access control  |  biometric database  |  biometrics  |  education  |  face photo  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  government  |  identity verification  |  India  |  palm prints  |  privacy  |  time and attendance