Mobile phone-based facial recognition to replace fingerprint attendance system, says NMC
CHENNAI: Starting May 1, faculty members at medical colleges across India will be required to mark their attendance using face-based Aadhaar authentication via mobile phones, replacing the current fingerprint-based system. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a directive mandating the use of facial recognition technology through the UIDAI Registered Device (RD) interface.
The announcement came through a public notice from the NMC’s IT wing, signed by secretary Dr Raghav Langer. It stated that the new attendance system, already in use at various government offices through NIC platforms, is being introduced to streamline processes and prevent tampering. “Only face biometric authentication through a mobile app or wall-mounted device will be permitted from May 1,” the notice read. The existing Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) using fingerprint scanners will be phased out.
Transition Underway Across Campuses
To enable a seamless switch, medical colleges and universities have been directed to provide the GPS coordinates of attendance points located within a 100-metre radius on their campuses. These will help geofence the authentication zones. Institutions are also required to submit the contact details of designated nodal officers by April 20.
The Directorate of Medical Education confirmed that heads of government medical colleges have begun compiling and sharing the necessary details with the NMC.
App Rollout and Technical Support
Dr E Theranirajan, dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said faculty members will be instructed to download and use the face-authentication mobile app. “The app will be activated from April 24. Institutions facing technical issues have been asked to report them to the NMC by April 30,” he added.
Senior NMC officials emphasized that the facial recognition system is designed to enhance transparency and accountability by reducing the chances of proxy attendance or manipulation.
