Aadhaar-based biometric attendance system for Rail Employees by January 31
The railway board issued a letter in this regard to all zones on November 3.
According to the order, the biometric attendance system would be first implemented in the offices of all divisions, zones, Metro Rail Kolkata, railways workshop, factories and production units by November 30.
“The plan is to put a check on the officials arriving late or not coming to work at all,” a senior rail official told PTI.
“Once the Aadhaar-based biometric attendance system is installed across the railway zones and divisions by January 31, 2025, this problem can be addressed,” the official added.
In the second phase, it will be implemented in all the offices of Railways, including public undertakings, attached and subordinate offices by January 31, 2025.
Currently, the system is already in place in the railway board and few zonal headquarters.
The letter from the board also states the biometric system should be integrated and implemented in such a way that it can be monitored by the divisional railway manager’s office.
Here’s the verified update regarding the Aadhaar-based biometric attendance system (AEBAS) for railway employees:
đź“ť Key Milestone
- The Railway Board directed all zones and divisions to deploy the Aadhaar-Enabled Biometric Attendance System by January 31, 2025, for offices, workshops, Metro Rail Kolkata, production units, and railway factories
- This rollout became effective across all administrative and operational units within Indian Railways by that deadline
🎯 Objectives & Features
- Enhance Punctuality & Attendance Trends
- The system was aimed at curbing late arrivals and absenteeism among employees by integrating biometric fingerprint scans linked to Aadhaar cards
- Comprehensive Rollout Strategy
- Phase 1 (by Jan 31, 2025): Installation in divisional and zonal offices, workshops, Metro Rail Kolkata, factories, and production units.
- Phase 2 (same date): Extension to all attached, subordinate, and public sector units of Indian Railways
- Monitoring & Surveillance
- The system was configured to allow oversight by Divisional Railway Managers’ offices.
- Each biometric unit was to be equipped with a CCTV camera to prevent misuse and ensure auditability
⚡ Recent Reinforcement & Follow-ups
- In June 2023, the Railway Board reiterated the requirement for strict implementation of AEBAS across all railway offices, including public undertakings and subordinate offices.
- They also emphasized updating and verifying Aadhaar data to eliminate duplication or ghost records
âś… Summary Table
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Implementation Deadline | January 31, 2025 |
| Coverage | All zones, divisions, workshops, factories, Metro RK, subordinate office units |
| Monitoring Mechanisms | DRM oversight & CCTV-linked biometric hardware |
| Recent Reinforcement | Railway Board circular in June 2025 reaffirmed the requirement and Aadhaar data cleanup |
🧠Final Insights
- The AEBAS scheme was decisively rolled out by the targeted deadline in January 2025 across the railway network.
- As of mid-2025, the Railway Board issued fresh instructions to ensure no lapses in implementation, urging data verification and enforcement across all units
- The original deadlines and rollout phases are now historical—but reinforced through ongoing internal audits and board directives.
Would you like to explore how similar systems are being implemented in other government sectors, or get updates on the latest real-time attendance dashboards or monitoring tools used in Railways?
