The teachers of various degree colleges in Uttarakhand have called an agitation on Tuesday in support of their pending demands. This is set to impact on the ongoing BEd examination, back paper and regular classes in the colleges. Sources said that by way of the stir, DAV (PG) College teachers are putting pressure on the State Government to desist from enforcing the biometric attendance system for the college teachers.

DK Tyagi, a teacher of DAV (PG) College, said that the teachers of various degree colleges on Tuesday will gather at Parade Ground and later they would take out a rally from Parade Ground to Secretariat under the banners of Federation of Uttarakhand University Colleges Teacher’s Association (FUUCTA) and HNB Garhwal University Teacher’s Association (GUPA) in support of their pending demands.

Their demands include medical facilities, implementation of University Grant Commission’s directives related to teachers’ welfare and the teachers’ representation at the level of administration, directorate. Recently, following the direction from the State Government, DAV (PG) College principal Devendra Bhasin had decided to implement biometric system in the college. However, college teachers had criticised the principal’s move, though this issue keeps pending before the High Court.

While taking to The Pioneer, Bhasin said that the State Government has recently submitted an affidavit in the High Court regarding implementation of biometric system and a directive was issued thereafter to him for implementing the system. “After the teachers went for the stir we decided to put the matter on hold. We are now awaiting direction from the High Court and the State Government,” he added.

Sources said the teachers in the DAV (PG) College are exerting pressure to stop biometric system from being implemented by the college principal. They are raising other issues as a fig leaf to conceal the main issue as they cannot oppose the biometric system in principle.

It should be mentioned here that on July 30, 2014, a delegation of teachers led by Rajkumar had met the state higher education secretary Manisha Panwar and apprised her of their demands. Panwar had said that in compliance with the High Court order, all the teachers would have to give their attendance twice in a day in the college. The Government might consider replacing the controversial biometric system with a register book attendance, she had said.