The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a contempt notice to Delhi University on its failure to adopt and implement the biometric attendance system for teachers to ensure punctuality.
In his petition, advocate RK Saini, appearing for the organisation Indian Council of legal Aid and Advice, told the court that even after seven months, DU has not acted upon the order passed by the division bench of this court to adopt the biometric system.
The court, headed by Justice S Sistani, has issued notice to Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh and Registrar Alka Sharma and sought their response by August 7.
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 the earliest.
The PIl had sought the introduction of the biometric system to register the attendance of lecturers and other teaching staff of the university. “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 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.”
In December 2009, the university unsuccessfully tried to introduce the biometric system in colleges.