KSOU gets special status from State government to offer distance courses

Mysuru: Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru, has been declared by the State government as the one and only university that handles distance education effectively.

Reacting to the recognition from the government, KSOU Vice-Chancellor Prof S.Vidyashankar, said, "After amending the KSOU Act, it has been given a special status. Our aim is 'Education for all anywhere' and our dream has come true. I sincerely thank Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala and our Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa for this tremendous success."

KSOU (earlier Institute of Correspondence Course and Continuing Education – ICC&CE) was established with the sole intention of offering distance education in the State to those who cannot afford to attend regular colleges. It was a State university on the lines of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) which are offering medical and engineering courses respectively to students. The KSOU has good infrastructure in all its regional offices in 20 districts.

"KSOU has completed 25 years and we have lined up various programmes to mark the occasion. We will be setting up a high-level committee to introduce various new programmes. We are planning a 24x7 library and a huge complex to meet our demands," he said, adding that the university has gone digital. Online classes and KSOU student apps have been given shape and, at the same time, promotion to lecturers has also been planned.

Recently, the University Grants Commission (UGC) cancelled the affiliation of the university for 2012-13 to 2014-15 batches citing violation of jurisdiction and territory in granting permission to open study centres. The inquiry conducted by the Governor had proved misappropriation in setting up of study centres and the inquiry committee recommended criminal action against the then vice-chancellor and others. However, the UGC restored the recognition to the KSOU in 2018.