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New Delhi: The Delhi
High Court Monday issued a contempt notice to the Delhi University
on its failure to adopt and implement the biometric attendance
system for teachers to ensure punctuality.
Justice S. Sistani, issuing notice to Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh
and Registrar Alka Sharma, sought their reply by Aug 7.
In his petition, advocate R.K. Saini, appearing for the
organisation Indian Council of Legal Aid and Advice, told the
court that even after seven months, the DU has not acted upon the
order passed by the division bench of this court to adopt the
biometric system.
On Sep 9, 2012, a division bench of the court, while dealing with
the PIL, passed the order requiring DU to adopt the biometric
system for attendance at earliest.
"As per the court order, the respondent (DU) was required to adopt
the biometric system for attendance, as assured to this court, at
earliest which means within a maximum period of three months, but
they have failed to do so till date, even though a further period
of four months has elapsed," the contempt petition said.
The university had assured the court that it would "expeditiously"
adopt and implement the biometric attendance system. Following the
assurance, the court had disposed of the plea.
The PIL had sought the introduction of the biometric system to
register the attendance of lecturers and other teaching staff of
the university.
The affidavit, filed by the registrar of the university last year
on the PIL, said: "The University of Delhi is committed to adopt
and implement measures which are favourable and beneficial to the
university system as a whole, such as the biometric system of
attendance for its teachers in order to ensure their presence in
colleges and ensure the participation of all teachers in the
teaching/learning process."
It added that the varsity was committed to implement the system in
order to obviate chances of irregularity or mischief in
maintaining correct record of attendance of each teacher, but
sought cooperation from teachers in this regard.
Earlier, the PIL had said that the attendance system should be
introduced to ensure that a teacher "adheres to the teaching hours
and days prescribed by the UGC (University Grants Commission) and
the university rules".
It had also 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".
The PIL had also said 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 had said.
The PIL had also said it seemed that the university was not
implementing the biometric system under pressure from teacher
unions.
In December 2009, the university unsuccessfully tried to introduce
the biometric system in colleges.
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