Biometric attendance system lying idle for want of electricity

July 11, the Government announced to begin biometric attendance system for students of 14 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) in the State capital. However, State Government schools, which have been equipped with the system since 2014, remain dysfunctional due to lack of electricity supply for last one year.

Rajkiyakrit Madhya Vidyalaya, BMP Doranda is one such example, where students from Class I to VIII became techno-savvy last year punching their thumbs at the biometric machine for attendance. However, it could not be sustained due to unavailability of electricity.“With then Chief Secretary RS Sharma’s instruction to install biometric attendance for students, our school was among the first ones to have the facility.

“Since 2013, we are functioning without electricity. The biometric attendance machine attached to a computer was started with a line taken from the nearby district office of Jharkhand Education Project Council. The link later got disconnected making the machine dysfunctional,” said Kumar Sanjeev Ranjan, the Village Education Committee Chairman of the School.

According to students, the technology lasted hardly for 6-7 months.“We were centre of attraction among our friends in other schools. They would compliment us for studying in a school where attendance is marked in biometric machine,” said Babita Sonuwal, a Class VIII student. Similarly, Class VII student, Miraj said, “Pankhe bina padhne ki aadat hain magar biometric attendance bina accha nahi lagta (We are habituated of studying without fans but everything is boring without biometric attendance).”

Sources maintained, last year, the student enrolment ratio in the school probably increased because of the digital attendance mode.Despite being devoid of power, the school would receive Jharkhand State Electricity Board’s (JSEB) monthly bill till October 2014. “We lack funds. Who will pay the pending bill of `78,000IJ So, we requested them to stop sending the recent bills,” said Ranjan.

Interestingly, as part of Human Resource Development (HRD) Secretary Aradhana Patnaik’s call to adopt a Government school for overall 

development, the school has recently been adopted by bureaucrat KS Srivastava who has asked Principal Sumant Teresa Tirkey to submit him the previous JSEB bills.

“Early this month, KS Srivastava assured to manage the billing amount. We hope to get his support,” said Tirkey.There are around 25 schools affiliated to ICSE, CBSE and JAC (State Government) boards around two kilometres of the school of which majority of the JAC schools have no electricity. In Hinoo also, there are schools like Rajkiyakrit Madhya Vidyalaya, Hinoo Basti running without electricity since 2006.

When HRD officers were approached for their action they pointed efforts are taken to improve the condition. Patnaik claimed the power-supply is provided through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.“Transformers near the schools are being repaired. We are providing generators to some schools,” said another official.