Madras High Court

Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the state government to implement the Aadhaar enabled biometric attendance system in all government schools and government aided institutions as per the government policy and as expeditiously as possible, so as to ensure proper attendance to the teaching and non-teaching staff working all educational institutions.

Justice S.M.Subramaniam also directed the state government to consider amending of promotional rules, so as to provide merit-cum-seniority assessment system for promotion to the teachers working in government and aided educational institutions, so as to improve the efficiency level in academic side and administratively.

The state government is directed to verify the details of the movables and immoveable properties of the teaching and non-teaching staff working in government schools and government aided schools with reference to the declaration made by these employees in service records and if any discrepancies are identified, suitable actions are to be taken, if necessary, through the department of vigilance and anti-corruption and under discipline and appeal rules, the judge added.

The judge passed the order while disposing of a petition from a teacher R.Annal.

The judge rejected the relief sought for by the petition to quash a G.O dated October 25, 2018, implementing the Aadhaar enabled biometric attendance system for teaching and non-teaching employees working in government or government aided high school and higher secondary schools in the state.

The judge said in order to ensure better system to secure prompt attendance of these teachers and non-teaching staff in government schools, the government thought that Aadhaar enabled biometric attendance dystem will be of greater support to monitor any indiscipline or otherwise, if any by the teachers and non-teaching staff working in government schools. In a growing indiscipline amongst the public servants, it necessitated the state government to introduce such technology for the purpose of improving the efficiency level in the public administration. The Aadhaar enabled biometric attendance system was systematically being implemented by the government of India, and by the high courts and by other public institutions across the country. When the government thought fit to introduce such an advanced system for the purpose of ensuring the full proof attendance system in public services, the same cannot be objected by none other than a teacher working in a school who was expected to be a role model for the young children, the judge added.



The judge said the government was forced to implement such Aadhaar enabled biometric attendance system in view of the frequent complaints in the public domain that the teachers in government schools were not attending the school in time and leaving the school before the school hours and these teachers were involving in various other activities unconnected with their teaching profession even in the schools. In a growing complaints among in the public domain, the government thought fit to introduce full proof attendance system to ensure proper attendance of these teachers and non-teaching staff in government schools. Any better system by adopting the best technology, cannot be objected by a person, who was none othe than the teacher working in the school. If at all, the teacher was not possessing the Aadhaar number, then itw as for her to register her name and get an Aadhaar number and accordingly, attend the school through Aadhar enabled biometric attendance system.

The introduction of such system was done in a public interest and to improve the efficiency level of the public administration. This being the policy decision taken by the government, the petitioner cannot question the same and it was for her to take a decision either to continue her services or to leave the job, the judge added.