Tribune News Servic

Patiala, February 22

Punjabi University has so far failed to complete most of its automation programmes that were launched a few years ago.

The university had decided to automate its establishment branch records in 2020, turn its research branch paperless in mid-2022, computerise the functioning of its publication bureau and adopt open-source technologies as its works were constantly affected due to a lack of streamlining of information and documents.

It has failed to adopt these programmes despite the fact that it has a large number of system managers, system administrators, system analysts, and programmers to carry out these processes.

An official on the campus said, “Projects are being started by the university, announced in public, but then being withheld. The university does not even have an integrated management system. The officials have failed to ensure interconnectedness of departments to carry out the works.”

“Importantly, the university claimed to adopt open source technologies to do away with the expenses of proprietary softwares, including Windows, Microsoft and others. But the university continues to use pirated softwares, which is an illegal activity,” the official said.

Officials said the university had claimed to automate the records of the publication bureau and make the website public to allow people to search for books, but the process has been in the pipeline for a long time,” a university official said.

The official added that not much had been done on the university’s decision to adopt Integrated Human Resource Management System for bringing transparency in its establishment branch.

VC Prof Arvind said, “This is a large organisation. These projects are moving and they take time. We have launched some projects while the project of the research branch is also going on. We will launch all of them soon.”