The Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) has published merit lists for government college admissions online via its official website and the Online College Admission System (OCAS) portal.

This digital step aims to bring long-awaited transparency to the admission process and end decades-old concerns about favoritism, (recommendations), and manual errors in student placements.

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According to HED representative Imran Younis, this step has been taken to make the admission process more transparent and fairer. Students from Lahore and other cities in Punjab can now view:

·        The merit list of any government college across Punjab.

·        Their own merit position without visiting campuses or relying on intermediaries.

The initiative is part of a larger effort by HED to digitize education services across the province. Through OCAS, students who have completed matric or intermediate can apply to multiple colleges online, from the comfort of their homes.

Beyond just convenience, the move is designed to level the playing field for all applicants by ensuring that college admissions are based solely on merit. It seeks to eliminate discretionary admissions that may occur due to political influence or personal connections, a long-standing concern in the system.

While the old system often left students running from one office to another, sometimes missing out on seats due to lack of timely information.

The online merit lists are now live and will be updated regularly as colleges release new rounds of selections.