Mumbai's Sydenham College Implements RFID Attendance Tracking System

Sydenham College of Economics has adopted new Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) to manage student attendance. This system allows students to tap their ID cards and have their attendance recorded. 

"The system was launched in August 2023, and we have set up a separate IT admin office specifically for this," Shriniwas S Dhure, the principal, told The Free Press Journal (FPJ).

Discussing the initial troubles with the RFID system, Dhure claimed, "There were a few technical glitches during the first few months, such as when the students would tap, it wouldn't read their attendance, but we have fixed all of that now and it runs smoothly."

With nearly 4,000 students enrolled on campus, professors are finding relief in the new attendance system as it saves time during lecture hours. Four machines have been installed —three at the main gate and one near the library.

"The motive behind installing a machine near the library was to monitor the footfall and see how many students enter the library in a day," adds Dhure.

However, during a recent visit, the FPJ found that two of the machines had not been working for the past 15 days. 

When asked about the college’s 75% attendance rule, the principal claimed that though they have one, they make an exception for students preparing for the chartered accountant (CA) exam. “We also give them an option to attend lectures in the morning hours starting at 7.30 am, so that they are free by 11.30 am, and can pursue their CA preparations," Dhure told the FPJ.

The students claim they haven't had any problems with the new system. Sukanya Mangraj, a second-year BCom student said, "This is a good system that the college has introduced, and we have not faced any issues so far with this. But then it also fails our chance to give proxy for our fellow friends." Her friends supported her.