Bhubaneswar: The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Thursday questioned the state government’s decision to introduce biometric attendance for college students, saying it should first address the basic deficiencies plaguing higher education.
BJD spokesperson and media coordinator Lenin Mohanty said the proposal was misplaced at a time when the academic environment in colleges had allegedly deteriorated over the past two years under the BJP government. He alleged that colleges continued to face shortages of teachers, textbooks and other essential facilities, while BJP leaders were unnecessarily interfering in college administration.
“The government has failed to meet the basic needs of students. Instead of addressing these issues, it is focusing on biometric attendance,” Mohan ty said. The BJD also questioned the implementation of the government’s announcement of free postgraduate education in Odisha.
Mohanty said no clear guidelines had been issued to educational institutions, resulting in several colleges continuing to collect fees from students. He further pointed out that many institutions were offering courses under the self-financing system and said there was no clarity on whether students enrolled in such courses would be covered under the free education scheme.
The BJD alleged that the government was using the proposed biometric attendance system to divert attention from its failures in the education sector. Rather than improving academic infrastructure and ensuring adequate facilities, the government was attempting to enforce discipline among students, it alleged, pointing out that the state’s higher education system had deteriorated rapidly over the past two years under the BJP government.