LAHORE – Government College University (GCU) Lahore has fully transitioned its administrative operations to a paperless digital system, marking a significant step towards modernising governance and improving efficiency at the institution.
The transformation has been achieved through the successful implementation of the E-Filing and Office Automation System, a cloud-based digital platform developed by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB).
The system has been provided to the university free of cost on the special instructions of the Punjab government.
Under the new framework, administrative operations across all university departments have been shifted online. Faculty members and staff can now use a single platform for routine matters, including leave applications, travel permissions, annual performance reports, official orders and administrative correspondence.
According to a university spokesperson, important administrative processes such as digital note sheets for inter-departmental proposals, approval of visiting faculty remuneration, purchase requests and agendas for departmental meetings will also be handled exclusively through the cloud-based system.
The digital system is expected to eliminate the traditional practice of physically moving files from one office to another, reducing delays and making it easier to track administrative matters.
Vice Chancellor Professor Muhammad Umar Chaudhry described digital governance as essential for a modern higher education system.
He said shifting administrative operations from paper to digital platforms was not merely an environmental initiative but represented a structural change aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and accountability.
The vice chancellor added that eliminating administrative delays and manual file tracking would allow faculty members and administrative heads to devote greater attention to teaching and research activities.
The university said the move was part of a broader digitalisation campaign launched under the vice chancellor’s leadership during the previous academic year. Earlier initiatives included online approval of student society events and digital billing for payments to visiting faculty members.
GCU is also preparing to launch a comprehensive E-Services Portal to facilitate maintenance and other campus services. The platform will enable repair requests and infrastructure-related issues to be processed more efficiently without disrupting academic activities.
Meanwhile, the university has expanded its digitalisation drive to include alumni records, with work underway to fully digitise information relating to former students.
