The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has directed all pharmacy institutions across the country to immediately complete the implementation of the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS). This move is aimed at improving transparency and streamlining attendance tracking of faculty and students in pharmacy colleges.
Final Phase of AEBAS Rollout Begins
In its latest circular, PCI issued detailed guidelines to nodal officers and users to facilitate the final phase of AEBAS implementation. It had already instructed institutions earlier this year to procure biometric devices and complete the onboarding process through a designated portal. PCI warned that institutions must immediately complete the required activity to avoid withdrawal of decision letters due to non-compliance.
Institution-Specific Links and User Manuals Shared
Once the onboarding process is completed, PCI will share institution-specific registration links via their registered email addresses. These links will enable institutions to register faculty and set up the nodal administrator on the AEBAS portal. PCI has also released user manuals to guide institutions through the processes of faculty registration and nodal admin setup, ensuring smooth adoption of the system.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Nodal Officer
Each institution must appoint a nodal officer responsible for managing the master details of the organisation, including:
*Office and device locations
*Employee designations and divisions
*Biometric device activation/deactivation
*Employee attendance records and reports
*Leave, tour, and holiday management
The nodal officer will also be in charge of generating various attendance reports—daily, weekly, or monthly—and handling all related data management tasks on the portal.
Employee Access and Portal Use
Faculty and staff will have access to the AEBAS portal to:
*Mark attendance using biometric devices
*Apply for leave and tours
*View and update their personal profiles
Step-by-step guidance is provided in the user manual for seamless onboarding and daily use.
Non-Compliance Will Affect Academic Approvals
As part of a strict compliance push, PCI announced in March 2025 that institutions failing to install AEBAS devices would have their academic session 2025–26 approvals put on hold. Inspectors tasked with evaluating institutions for the upcoming academic session have been instructed to ensure full compliance with the biometric system.
MoHFW Notification Empowers PCI
This implementation follows a November 2023 notification from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The notification permitted PCI to carry out Aadhaar-based authentication for faculty, staff, and students. PCI opted for a phased implementation, initially focusing on faculty and non-faculty staff attendance tracking.
Mandatory Device Setup and Continuous Monitoring
Institutions must install a sufficient number of AEBAS devices and connect them to Wi-Fi or optical fiber networks for reliable functionality. The Council has strictly warned of serious action against non-compliant institutions. It will act if any institution fails to generate biometric attendance data for more than three working days without a valid reason.
As reported by pharmabiz.com, PCI is enforcing AEBAS nationwide to foster accountability and ensure accurate monitoring of faculty presence. This move marks a significant step toward strengthening the quality and governance of pharmacy education in India.