E-Attendance: Teachers Object To Data Security Undertaking On Humare Shikshak App

Government school teachers in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, are encountering difficulties while marking e-attendance via the Humare Shikshak app due to a new mandatory data security undertaking. This legal declaration/data non-disclosure undertaking, introduced alongside the Education Portal 3.0 and related applications, compels teachers to safeguard the confidentiality of personal, academic, service, financial, and institutional information found within the portal.

The undertaking also holds the user accountable for any disclosure or violation, and it necessitates teachers to click 'I Agree' before utilizing any part of the application, including attendance functions.

Upendra Kaushal, the acting president of the teachers' association, expressed skepticism regarding the burden of responsibility placed on teachers in the event of a cyberattack, technical failure, or security breach at the server or third-party agency managing the platform. They have called for the department to explicitly define accountability for data security before making the undertaking compulsory.

The government had previously been questioned about the personal and biometric/digital data collected through e-attendance and the security protocols in place. During the assembly session, the school education minister assured that the Humare Shikshak Android portal had undergone a security audit. However, teachers are still concerned about the assurance of data protection, encryption, data privacy, and server security.