Aligarh makes biometric attendance mandatory for all madrasa teachers

Aligarh’s education authorities have introduced compulsory biometric attendance for all madrasa teachers, linking the new system directly to salary payments.

Officials said on Nov 20 that the arrangement is intended to tighten monitoring across both government-aided and unaided institutions and ensure teachers remain present during working hours.

District Magistrate Sanjiv Ranjan said the step follows directions from the Uttar Pradesh government and is part of efforts to bring more efficiency and transparency to administrative processes in educational settings.

He also responded to questions on the ongoing scrutiny of unregistered madrasas, confirming that the survey has been paused and that the administration has not been told when it will resume.

The minority welfare office said salaries will now be released only after verifying biometric attendance, replacing earlier methods of tracking presence.

Aligarh currently has 120 registered madrasas, including four that receive government aid and 116 that do not.

The aided institutions employ 55 teachers and serve about 14,000 students, while unaided madrasas have 200 teachers and nearly 60,000 learners.

Officials said the attendance requirement will apply uniformly across these institutions.

An official from the minority office said the decision was influenced by recent concerns about security in educational environments.

The official added that the administration expects improved monitoring to strengthen discipline, reduce attendance discrepancies, and reinforce trust in how madrasa institutions operate.

Authorities also believe that the digital records created through the system will help shape future planning for minority education.

While the biometric rule has been put into effect immediately, the separate exercise to identify illegal or unregistered madrasas will restart only after the state government issues further directions.