Karnataka police makes daily attendance on Kartavya app compulsory for all personnel
In a move to improve punctuality and accountability, the Karnataka police have made it mandatory for all officers and personnel to register on the state government's 'Kartavya' attendance app and mark their presence daily. The directive, issued by Director General and Inspector General of Police M.A. Saleem on August 19, requires unit heads to ensure every police employee under their jurisdiction is onboarded onto the Karnataka Automated Attendance Management System (KAAMS) and records attendance without fail.
The decision comes after repeated instructions were ignored, with many personnel either not registering on the app or failing to log their attendance regularly. The department has clarified that the nature of police work, which often keeps personnel outside stations and offices, will no longer be an obstacle due to enhancements in the app.
The Kartavya app now includes an 'On Other Duty' (OOD) option and a movement register. This allows personnel engaged in beat duty, serving summons, crime investigation, and other field assignments to record their attendance along with the purpose of their deployment. Personnel must check in when reporting for duty and check out upon completion. Those working outside their stations must use the OOD option, and their entries require verification by a superior officer.
The order stresses that there should be no further lapses or delays. Unit heads have been directed to personally monitor implementation and prepare lists of two categories: those who have not registered on Kartavya and those who registered but fail to mark attendance regularly. The department has warned that personnel who skip attendance without a valid reason may be treated as unauthorisedly absent and face disciplinary action under applicable rules.
Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Saleem said the objective is to ensure punctuality and allow senior officers to monitor the presence and availability of personnel on the ground. "Many police officials start work early, while some are deployed on the ground, making it difficult for them to mark attendance. With the modification to the app, everyone can now log in and log out from wherever they are with a click, thereby marking their presence and availability," he said.
The mandatory attendance system was previously introduced but faced resistance due to technical and operational issues. Police personnel often work irregular hours that do not conform to fixed office timings. In several cases, punching in and out at times outside the system's designated working hours reportedly resulted in personnel being marked absent. This led many to stop using the app, while others did not opt for it at all.
Following complaints from field-level personnel, the app has been modified to align with the working patterns of the police force. With these changes, the head of the state police force has directed all personnel to compulsorily use the app and mark their attendance without fail. The department expects this measure to enhance transparency and efficiency in managing the police workforce.
