Mysuru: Prof Krishnan, Vice Chancellor, Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) and University of Mysore Vice-Chancellor K.S. Rangappa, who held a joint press conference here at KSOU conference hall on Monday, urged the State Government to intervene since the UGC had sought amendment to the KSOU Act in view of its objections for running courses outside its territorial jurisdiction. They argued that KSOU Act permits running courses outside Karnataka. Prof. Rangappa had held the post of Vice-Chancellor of KSOU before Prof. Krishnan.
The UGC had recently issued a public notice announcing discontinuation of recognition to the programmes offered by the KSOU after 2012-13, citing violation of rules. The public notice was issued on June 16, 2015.This had put the future of students in jeopardy.
The Vice-Chancellors said, that the UGC had, in, its letter dated May 26, 2015 (addressed to all the vice-chancellors of State Open Universities and the IGNOU), continued recognition to run the programmes offered through ODL mode for the academic year 2015-16.
They tried to clarify the situation thus: “We assume recognition had been withdrawn only to the courses in question and not the regular programmes. However, this will be clarified from the UGC,” he said.
Prof. Rangappa said the open universities, including KSOU, had been playing a crucial role for improving the gross enrollment ratio (GER) in higher education. “The education should not have barriers or boundaries; it must reach to maximum students to improve the ratio,” Prof. Rangappa felt.
