PRAYAGRAJ, July 11 -- A year after the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP Board) introduced its online attendance system, its implementation remains poor across the state, with fewer than five per cent of affiliated schools in 20 districts regularly recording attendance through the digital platform. An analysis of attendance data uploaded by more than 29,000 UP Board-affiliated schools, reviewed on July 8, revealed widespread non-compliance despite repeated directives from the board. Officials attributed the poor implementation largely to inadequate monitoring by district inspectors of schools (DIOS). The situation is particularly striking in Prayagraj, which houses both the UP Board headquarters and one of its five regional offices. Official records show that only 85 of the district's 1,103 affiliated schools (7.71%) uploaded the online attendance of teachers, students and staff. Other districts housing regional UP Board offices also reported low compliance. In Meerut, only 66 of 411 schools (16.06%) marked digital attendance, followed by Varanasi with 34 of 403 schools (8.44%). Bareilly reported compliance from just 26 of its 459 schools (5.66%), while Gorakhpur recorded online attendance from only 27 of 512 schools (5.27%). The analysis further found that fewer than five per cent of schools were uploading online attendance in Badaun, Kanpur Nagar, Deoria, Siddharthnagar, Hardoi, Hamirpur, Amroha, Mainpuri, Sultanpur, Azamgarh, Hathras, Ambedkar Nagar, Bhadohi, Kanpur Dehat, Amethi, Etah, Gonda, Agra, Auraiya and Kaushambi. Hapur emerged as the best-performing district, with 31.36% of its affiliated schools recording digital attendance, followed by Rampur (21.52%) and Baghpat (18.71%). UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh said all district inspectors of schools have been directed to ensure that every affiliated school regularly uploads attendance through the digital system. The online attendance system, introduced on July 1, 2025, covers students of Classes 9 to 12, teachers and other staff in all UP Board-affiliated schools. Each institution has been provided with a unique login ID and password to access the attendance portal. Under the protocol, principals are required to upload daily attendance through the designated portal on the UP Board website or the UPMSP-Attendance mobile application. Attendance can be marked only from the school premises, and reasons for any absence must also be recorded. Class teachers are required to prepare attendance manually before submitting it to the principal's office for uploading to the board's portal. The UP Board had issued detailed operational guidelines to school principals on June 30, 2025, ahead of the system becoming mandatory from July 1, 2025....