HC asks DU to reply to plea for bio-metric attendance system

"Issue notice to the respondents (the DU and the UGC)," a bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said and fixed the matter for further hearing on September 19.

The court's notices were issued on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by the Indian Council of Legal Aid and Advice, an organisation which renders advice to poor litigants. The petition sought introduction of bio-metric system to register attendance of lecturers and other teaching staffs in colleges here.

The PIL said the DU was not introducing the "bio-metric system or attendance register for lecturers to ensure that the teaching staff is regular and punctual in attending its pious and sacrosanct duty of imparting education to students and adheres to teaching hours and days prescribed by the UGC and University Rules."

Appearing for the organisation, advocate R K Saini said the UGC in its 2010 regulations provided that "universities and colleges must adopt at least 180 working days, that means there should be minimum of 30 weeks of actual teaching in a six-day week."

Teachers are supposed to go to colleges six days a week and remain there for five hours daily, he said adding these directions are being flouted.

Non-observance of these regulations was against the interest of students and the cause of education, he said. (More)