The Punjab government has changed the official names of six public-sector higher education institutions in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Bahawalpur under the Public Sector Universities (Amendment) Act, 2026.
The Higher Education Department issued a notification on October 23, 2026, directing the institutions to implement their revised names. The legislation was published in the Punjab Gazette earlier this year.
Which Universities Have Changed Names?
The revised names are:
| Previous Name | Revised Name |
|---|---|
| Government College University Lahore | Government College Lahore |
| Government College University Faisalabad | Government College Faisalabad |
| Government College Women University Faisalabad | Government College for Women Faisalabad |
| Government College Women University Sialkot | Government College for Women Sialkot |
| Government Sadiq College Women University Bahawalpur | Government Sadiq College Bahawalpur |
| Lahore College for Women University | Lahore College for Women |
The changes largely restore the institutions’ earlier college identities and remove the word “University” from their official names.
Will They Stop Being Universities?
No.
The Punjab government has clarified that the changes concern the official names only.
Their existing mandates, academic responsibilities and higher-education functions will remain unchanged under the amended law.
This means students should not interpret the removal of “University” from the name as an automatic cancellation of degree programmes or degree-awarding functions.
In Bahawalpur, the vice chancellor of the affected institution has also said that administrative operations, faculty positions and other university functions will continue despite the name change.
Official Records May Take Time to Update
Some online government records have not yet been updated.
As of November 3, the Punjab Higher Education Department’s public-university directory was still displaying names including Government College University Faisalabad, Government College Women University Faisalabad, Government College Women University Sialkot and Government Sadiq College Women University.
The institutions are expected to update official documents, websites and other records in line with the amended law.
The notification does not specify a deadline for completing all administrative changes.
For current students and graduates, further guidance may be required on how the revised names will appear on future transcripts, degrees and other official academic documents.
