MADURAI: The presence and absence during working hours everyday of college lecturers who are drawing lakhs of rupees as monthly salary from the State government is soon going to be a big focal issue in Tamil Nadu.
Teachers associations especially the guest lecturers are urging the Tamil Nadu State government to make bio-metric attendance compulsory for the colleges also, especially in the government-aided and university constituent colleges across the State because the attendance of staff during the working hours of the college is a serious issue and needs to be probed.
Sources told ‘Lotus Times’ media a few days ago that they are welcoming the installation of bio-metric attendance in all universities which was announced by the Higher Education Department of Government of Tamil Nadu through an official order dated November 13th 2024.
“The actual culprits are in the colleges who are getting the Government salary in thousands and lakhs, they are more in number, it is very sad that the assistant and associate professors of aided colleges, Government colleges, university constituent colleges and teachers associations’ office-bearers will not be present during the working hours of the college. So, the same bio-metric attendance system from entry to exit should be made compulsory for colleges also in Tamil Nadu. Is there a proper permission being taken now? I demand that the Higher Education Department must first make bio-metric attendance compulsory for college teachers because we the Principals know the attendance record of our staff,” a few college Principals told ‘Lotus Times’ media immediately after the biometric attendance marking system was made compulsory for teaching and non-teaching staff of all State universities.
“The Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department had made a commendable decision with concern for the welfare of students. The Tamil Nadu All Government College UGC Qualified Guest Lecturers Association wholeheartedly welcomes this move. We believe that this will help reduce the instances of guest lecturers being treated like bonded labourers in some universities and colleges. We express our gratitude to the Tamil Nadu Government for making bio-metric attendance compulsory in universities,” an office-bearer from Chennai has said last week while welcoming the bio-metric attendance daily for college staff in Tamil Nadu.
