Fraudulent Biometric Attendance Discovered in Uttar Pradesh Madrasas
A troubling case has emerged in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, where fraudulent biometric attendance practices in government-aided madrasas have been uncovered. A video reveals that teachers' attendance is being recorded using plastic cards instead of biometric verification, raising significant concerns about the integrity of the monitoring system. The National Human Rights Commission has taken notice of this issue, which follows a similar incident in Jaunpur. Experts highlight systemic flaws, including the lack of real-time online verification and inadequate oversight, which have allowed such irregularities to persist. This situation underscores the urgent need for reforms in the attendance verification process within educational institutions.
| May 2, 2026, 16:12 IST
New Case of Biometric Fraud in Barabanki Madrasas
A recent incident in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, has unveiled a case of fraudulent biometric attendance in government-aided madrasas. A video reportedly shows that teachers' attendance is being recorded using plastic cards instead of biometric verification. This revelation raises serious concerns about the monitoring system, prompting the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to take notice. The footage displays several teachers' names written on plastic cards, which are being used to mark attendance in place of thumbprints. Employees can be seen in the video recording the attendance of absent teachers, indicating manipulation of records that are later used for salary distribution.
Mandatory Biometric Attendance Under Scrutiny
Officials have stated that biometric attendance is mandatory in all aided madrasas, and records are compiled at the district level by minority welfare officials before salaries are disbursed. However, this case suggests a lack of proper administrative control within the system, which reportedly is not linked to any Aadhaar-based online verification.
Barabanki Incident Adds to Series of Irregularities
This revelation from Barabanki follows a similar case in Jaunpur, where thumbprints of family members of a madrasa manager were used to falsely record attendance. Investigations into that case are still ongoing. Sources indicate that the madrasa located in Maila Reganj, identified as Islamia School, has around two dozen teachers. Despite the availability of biometric devices, such irregularities have occurred due to the lack of real-time online verification.
Systemic Flaws and Lack of Oversight Exposed
Experts and officials have pointed out that the absence of Aadhaar-based facial recognition, limited inspections, and the practice of maintaining offline records are significant vulnerabilities being exploited. It has been reported that attendance records are manually printed and submitted, raising concerns about verification. This issue also brings back to light concerns previously raised through court directives, which recommended the implementation of online verification systems in madrasas to prevent misuse.