Pune: To improve the dwindling attendance of the students of junior colleges, Maharashtra State Government has decided to install biometric attendance in the junior colleges. This according to the State Government will ensure that the students attend the classes in their respective colleges.

Officials said that 75% attendance will be mandatory for a student at the college so that s/he will be then allowed to take the Maharashtra State Board examination.

Students start preparing for various competitive and entrance examinations once their board examinations are over. Generally, junior colleges from Tier1 and 2 cities have tie-up with the coaching classes and allows students to stay absent.

These colleges allow students for practical and mark their required attendance. Many cities including Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur, Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Latur etc, have such tie-up with the colleges.

The students prepare for JEE, NEET, MHT-CET and thus enrol in a coaching class that have informal tie-up with a junior college. These students are allowed to attend the classes at the coaching institute and come to colleges once in a week for conducting practical.

After several complaints from parents, education experts and other stakeholders reached the government, it was decided to introduce biometric attendance in the colleges. Here, the students will require to mark their attendance through facial recognition or fingerprints.