Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 20: On the call of College Teachers Association-Jammu (CTA-Jammu), the teaching fraternity across Jammu and Kashmir staged a peaceful protest today to voice their grievances over the withholding of salaries of the teaching as well as non-teaching staff of the colleges by the administration in District Doda.
The teaching fraternity also expressed their anger over imposition of what they called as “unjust” additional attendance systems (Adhbut Doda app) in addition to the existing Aadhar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS), a Government approved and reliable system monitored by the Higher Education Department of the Union Territory of J&K.
The protesting staff members expressed their frustration with the District Administration’s decision to enforce multiple attendance systems, which has not received the consent of the Higher Education Department.
President College Teachers Association, Dr Rakesh Jasrotia, expressed his resentment over the Doda Administration for mandating the attendance through Adhbut Doda app as according to him, teachers are already attending their assigned duties and marking the attendance on BAS app with complete dedication.
He questioned as to why the District Administration in Doda has been trying to implement an attendance system which has not been implemented by any other District.
“This imposition not only causes inconvenience but also poses a threat to the free and intellectual academic environment, leading to psychological stress and a waste of valuable time for both teachers and students,” he said.
As part of the protests, the teaching and non-teaching staff in GDC Doda observed a two-hour pen down token protest against the District Administration.
They called for the immediate release of the withheld salaries and firmly rejected the use of the Adhbut Doda App for attendance, as they were already using the AEBAS system as mandated by the Government.
A similar protest was organised at GDC Bhaderwah as well where the college staff asserted that they are rendering their services with full dedication and diligence, and are regularly marking their attendance on most authentic and reliable AEBAS, which is being monitored directly by the Higher Education Department.
The college staff further expressed an apprehension of shrinking of democratic space for a free educational and intellectual academia, and of psychological stress and loss of precious time due to the implementation of Adhbut Doda app.
As such, they unanimously decided to avoid the use of the app in their college for attendance.
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