Biometric attendance system likely to begin in junior colleges: State | Mumbai News

May 25, 2026 Headlinesnews

2 min readMumbaiMay 25, 2026 10:06 PM IST

The state government is considering introducing a centralized biometric attendance system in junior colleges across the state to tighten monitoring of student attendance and curb manipulation of records.

The Directorate of School Education (Secondary and Higher Secondary) has submitted a proposal to the government seeking approval for installation of biometric systems in more than 9,000 junior colleges. Officials estimate the project could cost over ₹100 crore.

The move comes amid increased scrutiny of integrated coaching institutes following the NEET paper leak controversy and allegations involving a coaching institute in Latur. The controversy renewed demands for stricter regulation of tie-ups between coaching centres and junior colleges.

Under the integrated coaching model, private coaching institutes partner with junior colleges, allowing students to focus primarily on entrance exam preparation for tests such as NEET and JEE while attendance records are managed through the colleges. Critics allege the system enables manipulation of attendance records and weakens classroom teaching in colleges.

Officials said the proposed biometric mechanism could help prevent tampering of attendance data and ensure compliance with the mandatory 75 per cent attendance rule.

Mahesh Palkar said, “Such a mechanism is proposed to ensure greater transparency in attendance records of junior college and in ensuring strict compliance to mandatory 75 percent attendance clause. A proposal is sent to the government on this.”

Palkar, however, clarified that the proposal had been under consideration even before the NEET controversy surfaced.

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Meanwhile, coaching class owners’ associations from across Maharashtra have recently formed a consortium to push for long-pending regulations for the coaching industry. The group has also opposed the integrated coaching system and demanded biometric attendance in junior colleges.

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
Expertise

Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting.

Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive:

Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses).

Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers.

Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis).

Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students.

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