Lucknow, Jul 4 (IANS): The UP Board of Madrasa Education has decided to introduce biometric attendance for teachers at all 16,000 registered and 560 aided madrasas in the state.

At present, the digital system is in place at 171 aided madrasas.

All registered and aided institutions under the board will be equipped with it within a year, officials said.

The system is expected to address issues of absenteeism and fraud and improve the quality of education and administration of madrasas.

Officials of the minority welfare department said integrating technology in educational institutions, particularly madrasas, represented a big step towards modernisation and efficiency.

Department director J. Reebha said, “The Board has mandated the implementation of biometric attendance systems in madrasas across the state. Additionally, CCTV cameras have been installed near biometric machines to further prevent fraudulent activities. This directive, which initially faced opposition, has now been largely accepted due to the department’s stringent enforcement.” Reebha added that in the next step, biometric attendance would be mandated for all students of madrasas as well.”