Teacher's biometric attendance issue: HC issues notice to DU

Now the teachers who were responsible for the taking attendance of their students, they will have to go through the biometric attendance system to prove their own punctuality. The Delhi High Court has issues a notice to the Delhi University and University Grants Commission (UGC) in this regards.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw sought response from the university and the UGC by Sep 19, the next date of hearing.

The matter was introduces before the Court by a public interests litigation (PIL) filed by an organization called Indian Council of Legal Aid and Advice.

Organization has to say that the system should be introduced to ensure that a teacher "adheres to the teaching hours and days prescribed by the UGC and the university rules."

Advocate R.K. Saini, appearing for the petitioner, said that the UGC in its regulations in 2010 provided that "universities and colleges must adopt at least 180 working days, that means there should be minimum of 30 weeks" of actual teaching.

He submitted that as per the UGC norms, the workload of teachers should not be less than 40 hours a week for 180 teaching days, apart from being available for at least five hours daily in the college.

"The working hours actually being put in by a lecturer/assistant professor/teacher in Delhi University daily are just about three and half hours," the petition said.

It is noted that the University had tried to introduce the biometric system in colleges in December 2009, but it remained unsuccessful.

(With inputs from IANS)