SOME time back I came across a girl’s post on Facebook where she said that the admission form and photos she submitted to the Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, were found in a garbage can along with other applicants’ forms. This is very insulting for the families of those candidates. But the university cannot return the forms and documents of every unsuccessful candidate to them because it is quite hectic.

I have one solution for this: adopting an online application system for admissions. The world is moving towards a digital era. Paper-based applications have been completely discontinued in some countries. Everyone these days has cellphones and access to the internet; there is no need to manually submit applications or wait in long queues. Online application forms cost less than manual applications.

All the documents needed can easily be scanned and uploaded. It is quite secure and manageable and there is no need to discard them in garbage cans later. I ask all universities to adopt an online application system for admission in future.

Shahzeb Mahesar
Sukkur

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2018