The Telangana Council of Higher Education, in coordination with State Universities, has announced strict enforcement of the 75 percent attendance rule for students in higher education institutions. Universities will adopt facial recognition for attendance and introduce a sports quota in PG admissions via CPGET.
The Intermediate Education department will roll out a Facial Recognition System in all 430 Government Junior Colleges from Saturday, replacing roll calls and biometrics. Covering 1.80 lakh students, the system alerts parents via SMS or WhatsApp if their child is absent
The new facial recognition attendance system (FRS), introduced for Telangana teachers on August 1, faced server issues and GPS errors, causing delays in marking attendance. The system aims to prevent proxy attendance and improve monitoring in real time.
Speaking to the media on the occasion, Saidulu said teachers, headmasters were forced to spend more time on submitting reports to higher officials which was wasting valuable time, meant to be used for teaching students.
The Jogulamba Gadwal DEO issued show-cause notices to 36 school headmasters for failing to record student attendance via the FRS app. While 36 schools had under 40 per cent attendance, five didn’t update records at all. Disciplinary action may follow
The school education department recently sought a nod from the State government, as in the past a section of teachers had opposed the introduction of a facial recognition attendance system.
The Intermediate Education Department is installing CCTVs and facial recognition systems across government junior colleges to ensure discipline and improve attendance. Meanwhile, the academic year is beginning without textbooks, with distribution expected to finish by early June 2025
The department is enforcing the new attendance system for staff working in Government and Local Body Schools, Model Schools, TGRIES, KGBVs and Urban Residential Schools functioning in Peddapalli district as a pilot project. It is likely to extend to all districts.
The objective behind introducing facial recognition system was said to enhance accuracy, efficiency and security in attendance. The system uses advanced technology to verify individual identifies through facial features, eliminating the need for manual signing and seamless attendance recording.
CCTV surveillance has been rigorously implemented in the remote Cherla mandal, situated on the borders of Telangana and Chhattisgarh in Kothagudem district, known for its Maoist activity.
