In a bid to save face and avoid embarrassment, the State Department of Pre-university Education has asked all Pre-University college principals to send their students' attendance status to their parents via a registered post by December 31. The move comes after many students approached the High Court last year after they were disallowed to write the PU final exams due to attendance shortage.
A senior official of the department said, "Last year, it was humiliating for the department as several students who were short on attendance had approached the court. We do not want such incidents to repeat this year. To defend the department in the court, the college authorities must follow the direction regarding attendance shortage."
Officials say that if the colleges issue notices and updates parents and students about attendance, then it will be easy to argue in the court. Now onwards, the admission tickets of students with attendance shortage must be sent back to the department. If any college fails to inform the parents and students, then the principals concerned will be held responsible and action will be initiated against them.
The department also issued a circular asking the principals of all PU colleges to stick to the directions and Karnataka Pre-university Education Rules 2006 related to attendance. An official explained further, "We have given a calendar for the principals to follow. Last year there were complaints about college principals not updating students about their attendance status and holding back admission tickets and later issuing them by collecting money."
(This was first published in The New Indian Express)
