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LAHORE, Nov 10 (APP):The Syndicate of Government College University (GCU) Lahore has announced the waiver of full tuition fees for physically challenged students. In its 72nd meeting, chaired by Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Omer Chaudhry, the Syndicate also approved the introduction of three new PhD programs, six MS/MPhil programs, and five BS programs, including BS Computational Statistics and BS Criminology.
Additionally, the Syndicate approved the university’s budget of nearly Rs. 3,250 million for the 2025–26 academic year, which includes enhanced support measures for both students and staff. The meeting was attended by Punjab Assembly members Ms. Salma Butt and Mr. Sultan Bajwa, as well as other members, including nominees from the Higher Education Commission and the Punjab Higher Education, Finance, and Law & Parliamentary Affairs departments.
On the recommendation of the Academic Council, the Syndicate approved several new degree programs, including BS and PhD in Molecular Biology, PhD in Accounting and Finance, MPhil in Genetics, MS in English Linguistics, MS and PhD in Pharmacology, MS in Artificial Intelligence, BS in Computational Statistics, BS in Library and Information Sciences, MPhil in Peace and Conflict Studies, and BS in Public Administration.
The Syndicate also decided to include co-opted members from the industrial and corporate sectors in the Boards of Studies (BoS) of all academic departments to strengthen industry-academia linkages and provide practical insights into evolving market needs.
Furthermore, the meeting sanctioned an increase in the quota of seats for students from Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries and approved a series of new diploma and certificate courses in fields such as income tax law, banking law, forensic law, and criminology. The university also introduced summer workshops and short programs in arts, languages, debates, drama, and related fields.
In terms of staff and student welfare, other major decisions included a reduction in PhD fees for university employees, a reduction in fees for overseas students, and lower charges for the university’s day-care centre. A new policy was also introduced to make sports facilities like the gym, swimming pool, and courts available to external members. For faculty and staff welfare, the Syndicate approved the initiation of a health insurance policy for faculty and employees and the clearing of pending annual and performance-based increments for TTS faculty whose cases had not been processed since 2023.
The meeting also saw an increase in summer-semester remuneration from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 50,000, a raise in the remuneration of visiting faculty at intermediate and BS levels, and an increase in late-sitting and off-day remunerations for staff in pay scales 1–16, alongside a hike in the breakfast allowance.
The meeting was attended by Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Babar Aziz, and Registrar, Dr. Shaukat Ali.