The Maharashtra state education department has decided to install biometric attendance machines at all approximately 9,500 junior colleges across the state, taking full responsibility for the initiative to ensure students meet the mandatory 75% class attendance requirement.
Proposal and Implementation
Mahesh Palkar, the director of education (secondary and higher secondary), informed TOI on Sunday that a proposal worth Rs 100 crore has been drafted. The machines will be installed during the academic year 2026-27 after receiving formal government approval. Palkar stated, “We cannot rely on biometric attendance machines of colleges as they could be prone to tampering. The state education department is ready to bear the expenses towards the installation of machines and their operational cost.”
Real-Time Tracking and Purpose
This high-tech measure, prompted by the NEET paper leak scam exposed in Maharashtra, will facilitate real-time biometric tracking of students. In the recent past, strict enforcement of the 75% attendance criteria was proposed but faced delays due to pressure from various quarters, including political circles. Academic experts have consistently emphasized the need to enforce mandatory biometric attendance for students to appear for Class XII examinations, aiming to cut alleged unholy ties between junior colleges and coaching classes.
Expert Opinions
Educationist Heramb Kulkarni said the root cause of the NEET paper leak scam lies in the fact that many students do not physically attend junior colleges. “Had the students attended their junior colleges on a full-time basis, the market for these coaching classes would never have flourished. Therefore, for the current academic year, decisive measures such as biometric attendance and CCTV surveillance are a must,” he said. Kulkarni also stressed the need to revoke the self-financed status of any college acquired or run by coaching centers, and to derecognize colleges where student attendance is lacking.
Dr. Shrirang Deshpande, general secretary of Shri Saraswati Bhuvan Education Society, emphasized that the 75% attendance requirement must be monitored vigilantly. He added, “Online admission processes should be overhauled, as it allows coaching class operators to influence students—particularly those from rural areas—into listing specific tied-up colleges as their preferred choices.”
