College spends Rs 60 lakh to install app-based attendance

Even as several groups of Delhi University (DU) teachers expressed their reservation over an app-based attendance system started as a pilot project in some colleges, an RTI filed by a teacher of DU'S Acharya Narendra Dev College (ANDC) has reportedly revealed that the college spent nearly Rs 60 lakh on a software — Entrance Resource Planning (ERP) — used primarily for marking attendance.

The RTI filed by former Academic Council (AC) member and a teacher reportedly revealed that the college spent Rs 59,97,568 between purchase of the software in 2014 and September this year. This includes the salary paid to the transformation manager. The software was purchased through an MOU with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

“We are not even sure what the ERP is because it was installed without any discussion with the stakeholders. It is supposed to be for more than attendance — such as form- ing timetables, etc — but none of that is happening,” teacher said. “It is only functional at the library; accounts and administration departments are not using it. This is a waste of public money.”

But calling opposition to the software “political” in nature, a college official said that I don't remember the cost but it has happened over three years. The system does much more than (record) attendance…. It's not an exorbitant amount considering the number of students we have and the annual cost.”