Pune: Biometric Attendance To Be Made Mandatory In Junior Colleges To Curb Absenteeism

Pune, 13th February 2025: With junior colleges witnessing dwindling attendance while private coaching classes remain packed, the State Government is set to introduce a biometric attendance system to ensure students attend regular college sessions. The Education Department has already begun preparations for its implementation.

In cities like Pune, Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ahilya Nagar, Kolhapur, Amravati, and Latur, students begin preparing for competitive exams such as JEE, NEET, and MHT-CET from Class 11. Many enroll in private coaching institutes that have informal tie-ups with junior colleges, where their attendance is recorded despite them rarely attending college lectures. Students typically visit colleges only for practical sessions, leading to widespread absenteeism.

To address this issue, the government plans to enforce biometric attendance, which will require students to mark their presence through facial recognition or fingerprints. Unlike previous directives, where biometric attendance in schools was not strictly implemented, officials are now considering making 75% attendance mandatory for students to be eligible for the State Board Examination.