JNTU-Hyderabad circular & warnings on activating ABAS fall on deaf ears

Hyderabad: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JTNU-H) circular mandating its affiliated colleges to activate the Aadhar-based Attendance System (ABAS) from Monday bite the dust for second time.

According to the varsity sources, earlier, it had asked about 160-odd affiliated colleges to introduce ABAS following a series of complaints of manipulation of faculty data to obtain approvals and clearances. Speaking to The Hans India, a JNTU-H official said the university wanted strict implementation of ABAS, because the colleges got the approvals and clearances during the last two years through an online process without physical verification.

Accordingly, it had issued a circular on September 9 to activate ABAS giving a month's time. The colleges failed to implement the same citing they needed more time to update the bio-metric machines.

Following this, the university had reminded its colleges to activate ABAS from November 1, failing which, it would slap fines of Rs 20,000, besides, taking punitive action, like cancelling the approval given to the existing programmes as well as disaffiliation of colleges.

However, the second circular and the university warnings have reportedly fallen on deaf ears for the second time. "About 85 per cent of colleges in Ranga Reddy district have reportedly not activated. Similarly, only a couple of colleges have activated ABAS in Medchal," the sources added.

When contacted JNTU-H Registrar Dr M Manzoor Hussain said the colleges have reported problems in updating the software of ABAS from companies that sold the bio-metric machines. The companies face staff crunch, resulting in delay in updating the software of the machines, he said.

However, when asked whether two months' time was not sufficient for updating software and activating the machines, he said, "the university is taking wilful violations seriously and will identify such institutions and penalise them, as per the circular issued."