Install RIIMS app or salary to be withheld: Assam Government directs teachers

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Sadou Asam Sanmilita Siksha Mancha, an umbrella organization of 10 teachers' organizations, has strongly objected to the State Government's order issued recently, directing all teachers to install the RIIMS mobile app soon or their salary will be withheld.

A government order issued recently stated that unless the teachers install the RIIMS mobile app, their salary will be withheld. The Sadou Asam Sanmilita Siksha Mancha has taken umbrage at this order and on Saturday, the Mancha submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Chief Secretary, Education Department, Government of Assam. The government had earlier directed government and provincialized school teachers to install the RIIMS app on their mobile phones. Through the RIIMS application, the SDMIS (Students' Database Management Information System) and TDMIS (Teachers' Database Management Information System) along with AI (artificial intelligence)-based attendance monitoring will be possible through facial recognition on a single platform. Several teachers' organizations had opposed the move saying that their privacy would be jeopardized.

Teachers refused to install the RIIMS app. Following this, a discussion was held on October 9, 2021, between the Sadou Asam Sanmilita Siksha Mancha, the Chief Secretary, Education Department, Government of Assam, and other officials of the Education Department.

In the meeting, the teachers' organizations expressed their concerns regarding installing the RIIMS app. They said that the app would infringe on their privacy and hence they would not install the app on their mobile phones. But if the government provided them mobile phones, they would install the RIIMS app on those phones. However, the officials of the Education Department said that teachers would not be provided with mobile phones by the government. The Chief Secretary, Education Department, then assured the teachers' body that the second round of discussion would be held to come up with a solution to this problem.

"But this second round of discussion has not been held and now the government has issued another order that if teachers do not install the RIIMS app, their salary will be put on hold. We strongly oppose this move," said Ratul Chandra Goswami, general secretary of the Assam State Primary Teachers' Association, one of the 10 teachers' organizations under the Sadou Asam Sanmilita Siksha Mancha.

The Sadou Asam Sanmilita Siksha Mancha demanded in the memorandum submitted to the Chief Secretary of the Education Department, on Saturday, that the government must withdraw its recent order within seven days.

Also Read: RIIMS app furore rocks Assam; teachers to uninstall mobile application within October 25

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