After facing criticism for having poor work culture particularly in non-teaching sphere, Kashmir University (KU) has decided to start biometric attendance system for all non-teaching employees.
The orders in this regard have been passed by the Vice Chancellor (VC) Kashmir University Prof. Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi wherein the Heads of departments and Directors of satellite campuses have been asked to transfer an amount of Rs 25000 each to the university account.
“Intimation should go to the joint Registrar purchases section,” reads a circular issued on February 24.
Talking to us, Prof. Andrabi said the biometric system will be introduced in all the sections to monitor attendance of the non-teaching staff of the varsity and its satellite campuses.
“To begin with, the system will be introduced for non-teaching section only. Later the system will be in place for teaching faculty as well,” he said, adding that the students were exempted from the biometric system given their different class schedule in their respective departments.
He said as per the regulations set by University Grants Commissions (UGC) the teaching faculty of the varsity can sit in the university up to five hours maximum. “So this order is not in tune with them. May be they will be included in the second phase,” VC said.
The orders for introduction of biometric attendance system has came at a time when the non-teaching employees of some sections of the varsity are accused of adopting sluggish work culture thus causing inconvenience for the student community.
Recently some photographs had gone viral on social media wherein one of the clerks in KU’s examination section had given cold response to the queries of students and was glued to his computer screen for playing games.
“I went to the KU’s examination department to inquire about my 2nd year marks card but the concerned clerk was very ignorant and gave a cold response to my queries. The irony is that he was playing game on official computer and had no time to reply to my query,” said the student who posted the pictures on Internet.
The VC told that they have decided to for “overhauling’ the work culture in the examination department of the varsity.
“We have taken several decisions regarding this and positive results will come to fore soon,” he said, and acknowledged the slow work culture of the examination department.
“We are going to introduce reformative measures to bring positive changes in the system which will minimise the criticism from student community,” he said.
