JOIN USDU takes flak for not starting biometric attendance for teachers
The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a contempt notice to Delhi University for not implementing biometric attendance system for teachers.
Justice S Sistani, issuing notice to vice chancellor Dinesh Singh and registrar Alka Sharma, sought their reply by August 7.
In his petition, advocate R K Saini, appearing for the Indian Council of Legal Aid and Advice, told the court that even after seven months, DU has not acted upon the order passed by the division bench of this court to adopt biometric system.
On September 9, 2012, a division bench of the court, while dealing with the PIL, had passed the order telling DU to adopt biometric system for attendance at the earliest.
“As per the court order, the respondent (DU) was required to adopt biometric system for attendance, as assured to this court, which means within a maximum period of three months. But they have failed to do so even though a further period of four months has elapsed,” the contempt petition said.
The university had assured the court that it would “expeditiously” adopt and implement biometric attendance system. Following the assurance, the court had disposed of the plea.
The PIL had sought introduction of biometric system to register attendance of lecturers and other teaching staff of DU. The affidavit filed by DU registrar last year had said, “The University of Delhi is committed to adopt and implement measures which are favourable and beneficial to the university system as a whole, such as biometric system of attendance for its teachers in order to ensure their presence in colleges.”
The PIL had said that the hi-tech attendance system should be introduced to ensure that teachers “adhere to teaching hours and days prescribed by the University Grants Commission and the university rules”.
It had also said that the UGC’s 2010 regulations provided that “universities and colleges must adopt at least 180 working days, which means there should be a minimum of 30 weeks of actual teaching”.
“The working hours actually being put in by a lecturer/assistant professor/teacher in Delhi University daily are just three-and-a-half-hour,” the petition had said.
The PIL said it seems DU is not implementing biometric system under pressure from teachers’ unions.