Supreme Court Rejects PIL Seeking Mandatory Biometric Attendance for School Students Across India
The Supreme Court of India on Friday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Centre and state governments to implement a mandatory biometric-based attendance system for school students across the country.
The Supreme Court of India on Friday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Centre and state governments to implement a mandatory biometric-based attendance system for school students across the country.
The petition argued that installing biometric tracking in schools is necessary to identify and eliminate the growing phenomenon of "dummy educational institutions". These non-attending institutions allow students—particularly those preparing for competitive entrance examinations like NEET and JEE—to skip regular classes while maintaining formal enrollment. Tarun Tejpal to Move Supreme Court After Bombay High Court Conviction in 2013 Rape Case.
A Bench expressed reluctance to issue blanket policy mandates regarding school administration and biometric tracking, observing that administrative choices fall primarily within the domain of the executive and educational policymakers. Following the apex court's disinclination to interfere under Article 32, the petitioner elected to withdraw the plea. The court subsequently granted liberty to approach the appropriate authorities or High Courts if necessary.
The issue of dummy schools has drawn increasing concern from educators and child welfare advocates in recent years. Critics argue that these arrangements transform schools into mere examination registration centers, depriving children of holistic social development, sports, and regular classroom interaction while placing excessive reliance on private coaching institutions.
However, legal experts and privacy advocates have periodically raised concerns regarding the mandatory collection of biometric data from minors, emphasizing issues related to data storage, privacy safeguards, and technological feasibility across rural and underfunded state schools. Supreme Court Refuses Interim Bail to Asaram on Health Grounds, Allows Round-the-clock Caretaker.
With the Supreme Court declining to intervene through public interest litigation, the responsibility for regulating attendance protocols and clamping down on unrecognised dummy school setups remains with the Ministry of Education, central educational boards like the CBSE, and state administrative authorities.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 07, 2026 12:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).