CHANDIGARH: Punjab’s three leading universities—Panjab University Chandigarh, Punjabi University Patiala, and Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar (GNDU)—will now operate under a common academic calendar and implement a centralized admission process. This major directive comes from the state’s Department of Higher Education, which has issued a letter guiding the universities toward this standardized system. The centralized online admission procedure is set to be fully operational for the upcoming academic session, 2026-27.
The move is designed to simplify the application process for students, who currently must navigate separate online procedures for UG and PG courses at the three institutions. This often leads to conflicting admission and entrance exam dates, causing significant inconvenience. By adopting a unified system, the universities and their affiliated colleges will now share synchronized schedules for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions, examination dates, public holidays, and even summer and winter breaks.
The government’s new framework introduces the Punjab Government Admission Portal as the single gateway for all applications. Through this portal, students will apply online, and all subsequent processes, including merit list generation, counselling, and seat allotment, will be managed. Furthermore, the portal will provide real-time updates on seat availability in colleges, and document verification will also be conducted electronically, enhancing transparency and efficiency across the state’s higher education sector. The department has formally communicated these requirements to the College Development Councils of all three universities.
