Over 160k apply online for intermediate admissions

Women make up nearly two-thirds of applicants through online college admissions system

LAHORE:

More than 160,000 online applications have been received for intermediate admissions to around 800 public colleges across Punjab through the Online College Admissions System (OCAS), highlighting the growing use of digital platforms for accessing education.

Developed by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) in collaboration with the Punjab Higher Education Department, OCAS allows students to apply for admission to selected public colleges online, reducing the need for repeated visits to college offices and lengthy manual procedures.

According to the latest data available on the portal, more than 109,000 applications, or around 68 per cent, were submitted by female students, while male applicants submitted 51,632 applications, accounting for about 32 per cent of the total.

The figures show that nearly two out of every three applicants using the system are female, indicating strong demand among young women for higher secondary education as well as significant uptake of digital admission services.

Programme-wise, FA (Humanities/Arts) and ICS (General Science) emerged as the most popular intermediate programmes, receiving 57,096 and 54,018 applications respectively. Together, the two programmes account for around 69 per cent of all applications submitted through OCAS.

FSc (Pre-Medical) ranked third with 28,780 applications. Female participation was particularly high in the most popular programmes, accounting for around 81 per cent of Pre-Medical applicants, 74 per cent of FA applicants and 61 per cent of ICS applicants.

The data also showed varying gender participation in technical and commercial programmes. FA-IT received 7,337 applications, with female students accounting for around 65 per cent.

Male participation was comparatively higher in programmes such as DIT and D.Com. Relatively fewer applications were recorded for specialised programmes including Home Economics, Medical Laboratory Technology, Dental Hygiene Technology and Physiotherapy Technology.

PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf said OCAS had provided students with a convenient and transparent alternative to the traditional manual admission process. He said the system had helped students avoid lengthy queues and unnecessary visits to college offices by allowing them to submit applications digitally.

"OCAS is not only simplifying admissions but also generating valuable real-time data on educational preferences and enrolment trends across Punjab," he said.

Yousaf said such data could support evidence-based decision-making and help the government formulate future education and economic policies in line with emerging trends and students' needs.

The OCAS system has also been integrated with PayZen, enabling applicants to pay admission fees through multiple channels, including mobile banking, ATMs, debit and credit cards, TCS offices and branchless banking services.

The integration is aimed at making fee payments more convenient, transparent and efficient throughout the admission process.

The continued rise in applications through OCAS reflects the growing role of digital public services in making education-related processes more accessible and student-friendly across Punjab.