NMC Mandates Face-Based Aadhaar Authentication for Medical Faculty Attendance Starting May 1

NEW DELHI, April 17, 2025 – The National Medical Commission (NMC), India’s apex body for medical education regulation, has mandated a significant shift in how faculty attendance is recorded in medical colleges nationwide. In a notification issued on Wednesday, April 16, the NMC directed all government and private medical institutions to transition from the current fingerprint-based system to a face-based Aadhaar authentication method, effective May 1, 2025.

Currently, medical colleges utilize the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS), primarily relying on fingerprint scanners to log faculty and staff presence. The NMC’s move aims to leverage newer technology and improve user convenience by adopting face recognition linked to Aadhaar data. This technology, utilizing Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) registered devices, is already operational in various government offices facilitated by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

To facilitate this transition, the NMC has outlined several preparatory steps for medical colleges:

1. GPS Location Submission: Colleges must submit their precise GPS coordinates to the NMC via email at [email address removed] by April 20, 2025. This submission requires the signature and official stamp of the institution’s Dean or Principal. This step is crucial as the new system will restrict attendance marking to within a 100-metre radius of the registered campus location.
2. Mobile App Installation: Institutions are required to install the designated face-based Aadhaar Authentication mobile application, available on both Android and Apple app stores, on relevant devices.
3. App Activation and Support: The face authentication application is scheduled for activation on April 24, 2025. Colleges encountering technical difficulties during setup or implementation must report them to the NMC’s technical team by April 30, 2025, to ensure a smooth rollout by the May 1 deadline.

This shift represents a significant technological upgrade in attendance monitoring within the medical education sector, aligning it with systems being adopted in other government departments.

Disclaimer: This news article is based on information released regarding the National Medical Commission’s directive on faculty attendance systems. For complete and authoritative details, readers should refer to official notifications and guidelines issued by the NMC.