After tepid response to vehicle stickers: PU bets on smart ID cards for its staffers

While students are excluded from this initial rollout, authorities confirmed the system will start with faculty and staff before a wider implementation is considered

Panjab University (PU) is set to introduce QR code-based smart identity cards for its faculty and non-teaching staff in the coming weeks. University officials stated that the move is designed to modernise campus security by digitising official records and tightening controlled access across the university grounds.

This initiative follows PU’s attempt in August to regulate entry through QR-coded vehicle parking stickers for four-wheelers. (HT File)

While students are excluded from this initial rollout, authorities confirmed the system will start with faculty and staff before a wider implementation is considered. Registrar YP Verma noted that a formal launch is planned soon. “We will begin by issuing a few cards to senior officials as a trial run. Once we are satisfied with the system’s functionality, it will be extended to other faculty and staff members,” he said.

The smart ID cards will feature a scannable QR code containing the holder’s complete official data, linked to a centralized digital database. Security personnel at campus checkpoints will be able to scan these codes for rapid verification, reducing the current reliance on manual entries. Officials view this as a broader effort toward digital governance and a more robust security framework.

This initiative follows PU’s attempt in August to regulate entry through QR-coded vehicle parking stickers for four-wheelers. At that launch, despite nearly 4,000 students being identified as eligible, only 150 stickers were initially issued. Following multiple registration drives and deadline extensions over five months, the number rose to 1,800—a modest figure compared to the total student population of 16,000.

The gap between the campus population and actual enrolment in the sticker system previously raised questions regarding execution and compliance. However, university officials maintain that the proposed smart ID system will be more effective, as it involves a smaller, clearly defined group and a centralised database managed directly by the administration.