SRINAGAR: Following apparent warning to mark attendance through biometric mode, Kashmir University Teachers Association (KUTA) has decided to oppose the circular which was issued on 21 January to mark the attendance on biometric devices.
In a meeting, Kashmir University Teachers Association discussed the implications of biometric attendance for the teaching faculty. “The nature of jobs pursued by the teachers in the varsity doesn’t warrant a system of biometric attendance and their jobs can’t be compared with employees who undertake jobs of entirely different nature”, KU teachers association has said according to sources.
Pertinently, the non-teaching faculties of the varsity are following it since it was implemented there. “No university in India in general and J&K state in particular has implemented such attendance so far for teachers,” the association has said.
The teachers in the past were asked to make their attendance “mandatory” on biometric devices from January while the authorities also made verification from the attendance system mandatory for the release of salary.
The association has highlighted a series of issues which hinders them from marking the attendance biometrically. “Many teachers have to undertake field work that requires them to leave early in the morning and return very late in the evening from the field. Ironically lack of infrastructure in labs or field work does not have any relevance to biometric mode of attendance,” the teachers have said.
However, the teachers in Central University of Kashmir, Delhi University and some Universities of Rajasthan are marking their attendance on biometric devices.
Earlier the government introduced the attendance only to deal with transparency and efficiency in the system. They said that the teaching faculty of the university shall be excluded from the system of biometric attendance that is being made compulsory in the varsity.
When contacted Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University Prof. Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi said that he has not received any letter of the meeting held by KUTA. “I have not received any official letter yet. I can’t comment on it,” Andrabi said.
