Haryana doctors call Geo-Fencing Attendance Illegal, announce hunger strike
Faculty Attendance
Chandigarh: In a growing standoff between medical professionals and the state government, the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) has strongly opposed the implementation of a geo-fencing-based attendance system, calling it “illegal” and a serious breach of privacy rights.
The association warned that if the contentious orders are not withdrawn, doctors and health employees across the state will launch a 24-hour hunger strike on August 28, staging sit-ins at the headquarters of District Health Departments.
HCMSA President Dr. Rajesh Khyalia explained that the geo-fencing attendance system requires doctors to install a specific mobile application on their personal devices, enabling the government to track their physical location in real time. He argued that this practice constitutes a serious infringement on the right to privacy, a right explicitly upheld by the Supreme Court.
Previously, the government ordered the doctors and health workers of all categories of the department to register their attendance under the Geo Fencing-based Attendance Management System and also pay their salaries under the Geo Fencing-based Attendance Management System. The association, in a letter to the authorities of the Haryana Health Department, stated that impractical and illegal orders will not only violate the rights to privacy mentioned in the Indian Constitution, but will also violate the orders of the Honourable Supreme Court of the country. Apart from this, the threat of cybercrime will also increase for the officer/employee and as the employee's mobile SIM is linked to Aadhaar card and bank account, there is a possibility of financial crime/loss.
“By mandating location tracking through personal smartphones, the state is crossing constitutional limits,” Dr. Khyalia stated, adding that the policy undermines the dignity and autonomy of healthcare professionals. He further pointed out that the system raises alarming cybersecurity concerns, as the mobile app could potentially allow unauthorized access to sensitive personal information stored on the devices. Such vulnerabilities, he warned, significantly heighten the risk of cyber fraud, identity theft, and misuse of private data.
“What about female employees, who will ensure their safety? How can the government force us to use or carry phones or install an app without our volition? Moreover, if one system is being implemented, it should be implemented for all the government departments. Many of the healthcare employees do not even have a smartphone. Just like biometric machines, if the government wants to implement something, it should provide the devices for it instead of violating the privacy of people by asking them to use their personal phones. Considering that all the officers/employees working in the Health Department are already registering their attendance based on biometrics, there is no justification for registering it under the Geo Fencing-based Attendance Management System,” the doctor added.
The association has also stressed that forcing doctors to share personal data for administrative purposes is both unnecessary and dangerous. Beyond individual risks, they argue, the practice could compromise the security of hospital systems and endanger the confidentiality of medical records. The HCMSA maintains that there are other secure and non-intrusive methods to monitor attendance without resorting to invasive surveillance technologies.
