Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Delhi Government Puts Biometric Attendance Machines Under CCTV Surveillance
The Delhi government wants employees to record when they arrive and leave work.
It made biometric attendance compulsory after some senior workers were found absent during an inspection.
Several attendance machines later stopped working.
Inspections found water inside some machines, even though there was no nearby plumbing.
Officials suspect that some machines may have been damaged on purpose, but they do not know who did it.
Some workers said the system is difficult because their jobs require them to work outside the office.
The Social Welfare department is considering a mobile system that can use Aadhaar, facial recognition, and location information.
CCTV cameras will be used to watch the existing machines in some offices.
Inspections found water inside several biometric attendance devices despite no nearby water source or plumbing.
Officials suspect some machines may have been deliberately damaged after staff faced stricter attendance requirements.
Delhi employees must generally record attendance at 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., with disciplinary action possible for violations.
Social Welfare officials said field workers and malfunctioning devices create practical difficulties with biometric attendance records.
The department is considering mobile Aadhaar-enabled attendance with facial recognition and real-time geolocation for field staff.
- Who
- The Delhi government, including the Social Welfare department, officials and staff subject to biometric attendance rules.
- What
- The Social Welfare department is placing biometric attendance devices under CCTV surveillance after water was found inside several machines and is considering a mobile alternative for field workers.
- When
- The attendance mandate followed Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s surprise inspection in April; the device issue was discussed at a recent officers’ meeting.
- Where
- Delhi government offices, district offices, homes and institutions, including Social Welfare department locations.
- Why
- The government wants to enforce attendance, while officials report suspected device damage, malfunctions and difficulties for employees performing field duties.
Government Enforcement
Staff And Operational Concerns
Purpose of biometric attendance
Government Enforcement
The Delhi government wants all employees, including senior bureaucrats, to record attendance and face disciplinary action for noncompliance.
Staff And Operational Concerns
Officials said some employees perform field duties and cannot always mark attendance at office-based biometric devices.
Why devices malfunctioned
Government Enforcement
Inspections found water inside multiple machines without nearby plumbing, creating a reasonable apprehension that certain devices were deliberately damaged.
Staff And Operational Concerns
The identity of anyone who may have damaged the machines has not been established, while offices also reported frequent device malfunctions.
Attendance records
Government Enforcement
The government requires daily reports and is using CCTV and possible mobile geolocation tools to improve monitoring.
Staff And Operational Concerns
District-office in-charges said preparing attendance strictly from biometric records is difficult because of field work and technical failures.
- Attendance schedule
- Employees were instructed to mark in at 9:30 a.m. and mark out at 6 p.m.
- Inspection finding
- Water was found inside several biometric devices despite no nearby water source or plumbing.
- Surveillance measure
- The Social Welfare department decided to place the machines installed across its offices under CCTV surveillance.
- Required reporting
- Departments must submit daily attendance reports to their heads, with reports also going to the minister concerned, the General Administration Department and the Chief Secretary.
- Possible disciplinary action
- Officials and staff were warned that lateness, missing attendance marks or early departure could lead to action; some show-cause notices have been issued.
- Proposed field-work system
- The department is examining a mobile Aadhaar-enabled biometric system integrated with the Face RD Application and real-time geolocation.