Facial recognition system to be introduced across government and aided institutions

Education Department Issues Official Order

The Karnataka Department of School Education has ordered mandatory e-attendance for students starting from the 2026–27 academic year. The directive covers government and aided primary schools, high schools, and pre-university colleges across Karnataka.

Under the new policy, institutions will record attendance digitally using facial recognition technology through the Karnataka Administrative Management System (KAMS) mobile application.

Digital System to Replace Manual Registers

Schools and colleges will replace paper-based attendance registers with facial recognition scanning. Each morning, students will mark their presence by scanning their faces, and the system will upload the data instantly to the central KAMS platform.

Officials said the new method will prevent proxy attendance and remove errors in daily records.

Focus on Monitoring and Dropout Prevention

The department aims to strengthen student monitoring and improve learning outcomes through real-time attendance tracking. Authorities will identify students with irregular attendance and take early action to address absenteeism.

Education officers believe the system will help track enrolment and attendance trends, especially in rural and economically weaker regions where dropout rates remain a concern.

Institutions Asked to Prepare Infrastructure

The department has directed all government and aided institutions to prepare the required infrastructure before the 2026–27 academic year begins. Schools must arrange smartphones or biometric-enabled devices and ensure reliable internet connectivity.

The department will conduct training programs for teachers and administrative staff to help them operate the facial recognition system and manage digital attendance records. Officials plan pilot trials in select districts during the previous academic year.

Clear Guidelines on Data Protection

Authorities have assured that institutions will use facial recognition data only for attendance and administrative purposes. Schools must follow strict data security rules, and only authorized officials will access the records.

The department will soon issue detailed protocols on data storage, system access, and privacy protection.

Mixed Response from Teachers and Parents

The announcement has drawn mixed reactions from educators and parents. Many welcomed the move as a step toward modernization and transparency. Others raised concerns about technical reliability, data privacy, and internet access in remote areas.

Teachers’ associations have requested additional technical support and flexibility during the initial phase of implementation.

Push Toward Digital Governance in Education

Officials described the e-attendance mandate as a major step in Karnataka’s digital governance drive in education. By linking facial recognition technology with the KAMS app, the state plans to create a unified and transparent attendance system for school and pre-university students.

The department is expected to release further operational guidelines and a detailed rollout schedule in the coming months.

  Digital Governance in Education, E-Attendance, facial recognition technology, Karnataka