Officials said teachers are required send their selfies to the Basic Siksha Adhikari (Representational)

Primary teachers in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district have been asked to mark their presence by clicking a selfie in their school, as the authorities look to address the problem of absenteeism and proxy attendance.

Officials Wednesday said the teachers are required send their selfies to the Basic Siksha Adhikari (BSA) webpage before 8 am, failing which they will be deemed absent and their salary for the day deducted.

The new system of attendance, called ''selfie attendance metre'', will cover 7,500 teachers in the district.

"There is an automated system to receive and verify selfies posted in the Basic Siksha Adhikari (BSA) webpage. Teachers have been told that if they did not post their selfies by 8 am, their day's salary will be deducted," District BSA officer VP Singh said.

He said that so far one day salaries of 700 teachers have been deducted.

"In the past, we have come across several cases where teachers did not go to schools and sent local people in their place," Mr Singh said.