Lecturers, faculty, and staff missing classes in higher education institutes may soon be in trouble. With biometric attendance being planned, they may have to put their thumb impressions and compulsorily stay for 7 hours.

Higher Educational Institutes will soon begin taking attendance of lecturers via biometric machines. The state government is introducing the biometric system in colleges and universities as part of its endeavour to launch reforms and streamline higher education in the state, informed Higher Education Minister, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.

“The decision has been taken to improve the quality of education in our colleges. Currently, our focus is on biometric systems in colleges. We will also take up other issues that prevail in colleges. Currently, the Odisha government has announced 1065 new lecturer posts and they will be appointed soon. Hopefully, this will fill up all the vacant posts in colleges,” Nayak said.

The Directorate of Higher Education has issued strict instructions on the implementation of the biometric attendance system in colleges and universities in Odisha. A high-level meeting was held in this regard on September 16. 
Although a section of lecturers and students welcomed this move by the Department of Higher Education, many are of the opinion that it is unfeasible. 

“This is indeed a commendable step and will help both students and lecturers to spend more time with each other. Apart from lessons, they can also help us with other extra-curricular activities and guide us in taking the right step toward our future,” said a student.

“Lecturers can take classes for 3 hours. They can use the rest four hours to clear the doubts of the students and also take up extra-curricular activities that will encourage more students to attend college,” said Bhaskar Biswal, Principal, Nabarangpur College.

“This is a very primitive thought and old rule that is being implemented now. Students come from 20-30km away to attend college. So, it is impossible to stay for such long hours. In Koraput, it gets dark by 5 p.m. This problem is also reported from the Coastal belt. I would rather ask the Odisha government to fill up all the vacant positions of lecturers in colleges and universities. It will be more fruitful if the college hours are limited to 5 hours rather than 7 long hours,” said Golak Nayak, a lecturer.