Bengaluru, June 3: Schools across Karnataka have reopened for the 2026–27 academic year, bringing with them a major technological upgrade in the state’s education system. The Karnataka government has launched an AI-powered facial recognition attendance system, named Nirantara, in government and aided pre-university (PU) colleges.

Under the new system, lecturers no longer need to conduct traditional roll calls. Instead, a classroom photograph is captured through a mobile application, and artificial intelligence automatically identifies students and marks their attendance. The data is then uploaded in real time to the Student Achievement Tracking System (SATS), ensuring greater accuracy and transparency.

The initiative is part of Karnataka’s broader push toward digital governance in education. Officials say the technology will reduce administrative workload for teachers, save classroom time, and improve attendance monitoring across institutions. The system was initially piloted in Gadag district before being approved for statewide implementation.

The state government has allocated approximately ₹2.16 crore for the rollout of the AI-based attendance platform. Training programmes have already been conducted for PU college lecturers, with plans to extend the system to schools in phases.

Education officials believe the move will enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability in attendance management while supporting Karnataka’s efforts to integrate advanced technologies into public education.