Punjab Suspends Facial Recognition Attendance in Colleges

The Higher Education Department (HED) has officially suspended the facial recognition attendance system across public colleges in Punjab following intense backlash from educators and privacy advocates.

In a notification issued on May 16, the HED directed all institutions to immediately cease use and registration of any facial recognition-based attendance tools. The department clarified that the system was still under development and had not received official approval. Despite this, several colleges had prematurely installed unapproved versions and began registering faculty members, prompting the directive.

Labeling such actions as “highly inappropriate,” the HED instructed colleges to uninstall any unauthorized systems and securely delete all data collected through them.

Educators Raise Legal and Ethical Red Flags

The suspension of the Punjab facial recognition attendance system comes after growing protests by the Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA), which raised concerns over privacy violations, legal loopholes, and faculty dignity. Educators emphasized that the technology could jeopardize personal information, especially that of female staff, and argued that it lacked proper constitutional, legal, and ethical frameworks.

The PPLA further criticized the lack of consultation with stakeholders and stressed that technological surveillance must not replace meaningful education reforms.

Reports suggest that the HED’s decision was heavily influenced by this province-wide resistance. The notification emphasized that, for now, master trainers are only allowed to conduct orientation sessions with college principals and staff. No teacher registration is to proceed until the system receives full regulatory approval and data protection measures are established.

Earlier in May, the HED had instructed college directors to ensure all government college principals registered themselves and their faculty on the platform by May 15. However, following widespread opposition, the rollout has now been paused.

While the Punjab facial recognition attendance system has not been officially scrapped, this suspension signals a major shift in the government’s approach amid ongoing concerns around surveillance, educator rights, and data security. The PPLA has vowed to continue its advocacy, calling for respectful, rights-based policies in public education.