Biometric Attendance Rules and Regulations in India

The Government of India’s “Digital India” initiative includes the Biometric Attendance System (BAS) used in both Central and State Government Offices. The installed biometric devices allow employees to register attendance simply by providing their fingerprint or fingerprint image, which is authenticated online using the biometric data (Aadhaar) held with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). This document’s function is to act as a guide for government (Centre and State) entities who use or will utilize BAS for the presence of their employees.

Purpose and Audience:

This system is intended to act as a manual for federal and state government organizations that now use or intend to utilize BAS for employee attendance. The targeted audience includes Autonomous Central Government bodies, institutions, offices, Ministries and Departments of Central Government organizations, States, Districts, and other Semi-Government bodies (e.g., municipalities) and Central Public Sector Units.

Traditional vs. Digital Attendance:

• In the past, attendance was kept in registers, which presented accuracy and oversight issues.
• Electronic attendance systems, like those dependent on smart cards or biometrics, have replaced manual inputs.
• These solutions enable compiling, examining, and tracking attendance data more effectively.
• Standalone systems, on the other hand, do not allow for easy data interchange between organizational levels.

Key Features of BAS

Centralized Monitoring: BAS offers a centralized system for keeping track of attendance in all government offices.

Efficiency: It increases efficiency by eliminating manual procedures and cutting down on errors.

Cost-effective: Duplication of work and resources is prevented by a single system.

Impact on Productivity: Efficiency and productivity are directly impacted by accurate attendance.

Legal Compliance

• In India, it is permissible to utilize biometric attendance systems.
• Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 20111 are among the laws, rules, and privacy regulations that businesses must ensure are followed.
• To sum up, BAS improves accuracy, simplifies attendance tracking, and helps government offices run more smoothly.

FAQs

Q. How does an organization start Biometric Attendance System (BAS) for their employees?

Ans: Upload a signed department head request and the nodal officer’s data to the attendance.gov.in site. The nodal officer’s official email address or mobile number will receive an OTP from the system, which must be re-entered on the portal for verification. The organization’s details are then verified by the back-end administrator, who also activates the organization by giving it a distinct sub-domain that serves as the website’s domain name. The system will then send the nodal officer an email with their username.

Q. What are the steps for verification of employees?

Ans: The Nodal Officer must verify the employee’s Aadhaar number to ensure that the information the worker gives is accurate. The employee will receive an SMS or email confirming that his registration on the attendance portal has been completed upon completing the aforementioned verifications.

Q. How can employees record their attendance if they do not have an Aadhaar number?

Ans: To begin recording attendance, employees must have a valid Aadhaar number. The employees aren’t be able to record attendance without an Aadhaar number.

Q. How can attendance devices be procured?

Ans: Users can check the compatible device on http://attendance.gov.in/faq/compatible_devices and procure them from GEM.

Q. How safe is the Aadhaar information when used for marking attendance?

Ans: Employees supply basic Aadhaar details for UIDAI verification at the time of registration. Only the employee’s unique attendance ID is accepted and verified at the moment of attendance marking. Alternatively, Aadhaar information is secure since it is encrypted and hidden within the system.