Pune: The Divisional Deputy Director of Education has sought attendance reports recorded via biometric or facial recognition systems in grant-in-aid schools, covering students, teachers, and non-teaching staff over the past two months. Following this directive, secondary education officers in Pune, Solapur, and Ahmednagar districts have instructed all such schools to promptly compile and submit their data.

This compliance check is a step towards ensuring that the directive issued in October 2024 is being effectively implemented across the state. The directive mandates schools to provide attendance data for the period from September to December 2024. Schools must also report whether student data has been uploaded to the Vidya Samiksha Kendra system and whether Aadhaar-linked "Apar ID" systems have been implemented.

This initiative stems from a government resolution issued in October 2024 that required grant-in-aid schools to adopt biometric or facial recognition systems to track attendance. To ensure compliance, district education officers have given schools a deadline of one week to submit the required reports.

The implementation of this biometric system aims to enhance transparency and accountability in attendance records. Schools are now rushing to meet the deadline, as non-compliance may attract scrutiny from the education authorities.

"The government resolution mandates the use of biometric or facial recognition systems for attendance in all grant-in-aid schools. To verify adherence, we have instructed schools to submit reports detailing attendance records of students, teachers, and non-teaching staff," said Haroon Attar, Deputy Director of Education, Pune Division.