TIRUNELVELI: The Directorate of Medical Education and Research has issued a circular instructing deans of 36 government medical colleges to ensure Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) entry and exit for faculty members and resident doctors in line with National Medical Commission (NMC) norms.
Citing a show cause notice issued by NMC to the colleges, the directorate sought an action taken report from the deans. In a public notice dated April 16, the NMC had instructed all medical colleges to fully switch to face-based Aadhaar authentication from May 1. As per the new system, attendance can be marked only within a 100-metre radius of a designated GPS location inside the college campus.
“The new system has already been implemented in Tamil Nadu medical colleges. In Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH), doctors can register their attendance at three different locations,” said a surgeon.
An official from the DME office said the new system has forced private medical college faculties to remain on campus during working hours.
“After the system was introduced, many faculty members, especially retired government doctors working in private colleges, have started renting houses near their colleges. Those who used some tricks to bypass the fingerprint method can no longer do so with the face and GPS-based system. Government doctors, too, are being compelled to reduce private practice during duty hours,” he added.