Biometric attendance systems for India’s rural government primary schools

The Indian government will introduce biometric attendance systems for teachers and students in government primary schools in rural areas, according to the country’s Chief Minister.

Making the announcement in the Junagadh district in Gandhinagar, Narendra Modi — the Chief Minister — said the system is aimed at enrolling the maximum number of children in schools and that the technology will also be used to track student performance, as DNA India reports.

Reported previously, teachers in government schools in India’s Andhra Pradesh threatened to strike against a proposed biometric workforce management system.  In addition, faculty at Vinoba Bhave University have rejected similar plans and have vowed to oppose the new system. 

With obvious applications for biometric technologies, schools have become a popular spot for recent deployments, though they aren’t always received warmly.

Responding to pressure from labor, Delhi University has not implemented a biometric workforce management system, as has been mandated by the government. As a result, The Delhi High Court has recently issued a contempt notice to the university.

BiometricUpdate.com recently investigated the debate around biometrics in schools, in particular, for cafeteria payment systems. 

Article Topics

government  |  India  |  schools  |  time and attendance  |  workforce management