Guwahati, Jan. 24: Gauhati University students can now fill up their examination forms online.

In an effort to make the examination process more accurate and efficient, the region's oldest university has put an online system to fill up forms by its affiliated colleges and institutions.

'GU is in the process of introducing e-governance to bring in more transparency in its functioning and filling up of online examination system is the first step in that direction. The online arrangement will bring more speed in the process of holding examinations by GU as it will do away with the conventional system of waiting for arrival of physical forms from students and colleges,' vice-chancellor Mridul Hazarika told this correspondent.

Thousands of students from various streams appear in different examinations conducted by GU every year. There have been several instances in the past when the university has misplaced examination forms of students for which the latter suffered inconveniences and some of them could not sit for examinations.

'The university has already intimated its affiliated colleges about the change and asked them to recruit trained personnel or train the existing staff to operate the online system. Going online will help us create a database of all examinees. They will also be able to deposit fees online in the GU's bank account,' Hazarika said.

Though some colleges, especially those situated in the rural and remote areas, will take some time to implement the system because of non-availability of electricity and Internet, students in city colleges are ready.

'It is high time that a university like GU implements this system. Almost all of us have Internet and those who do not can access it at their colleges,' Siddahartha Sarma, a student of B. Borooah College, said.

Hazarika said the university has started executing its e-governance project and was trying to do away with the manual system of functioning in many departments.

In 2012, GU had agreed to make its annual budget online to make its financial transactions transparent. It has also agreed to start online admission process from the next academic session. The agreement came after a meeting between the then vice-chancellor, Okhil Kumar Medhi, and the Assam chapter of the National Students' Union of India.

Students from all over the Northeast come to GU for higher education. The NSUI said since GU does not have an online admission facility, students from far off districts and other states face trouble before getting admission.

Hazarika said all such projects would be implemented soon.