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Students in soup as KSOU faces axe
A large number of students enrolled in the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) are facing uncertain future with the Karnataka State government exploring ways to shut it down. The State government has in fact appointed a committee to suggest measures to close the university.
Hyderabad: A large number of students enrolled in the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) are facing uncertain future with the Karnataka State government exploring ways to shut it down. The State government has in fact appointed a committee to suggest measures to close the university.
According to the managements of the Study Centres in Hyderabad, the KSOU has been offering technical and non-technical courses and entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with various educational institutions, In turn, the institutions opened study centres at different places in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. Each centre has between 100 and 150 students.
The KSOU has offered courses in MTech, BTech, and Diploma in various technical subjects, besides, undergraduate and postgraduate course in commerce, arts, and sciences. What is shocking is that the University Grants Commission (UGC) suddenly derecognised the KSOU courses in June 2015.
Speaking to The Hans India, Deepak, who ran a KSOU study centre in the city, said “We were shocked when the UGC had derecognised KSOU courses with retrospective effect from the academic year 2012-13, leaving the fate of thousands of students in balance. Most of the students took admission in view of their career advancement and those who had not got admission in universities and colleges. Further, the KSOU official made us believe the UGC directive had no legal sanction and students could continue their studies without bothering about it.
But, all the hell broke loose when the Karnataka State government appointed a technical committee under senior bureaucrat Rantna Prabha, who earlier worked in United Andhra Pradesh. The committee was asked to explore all avenues to repatriate the university funds and faculty to some other university.
Srinivas, another study centre head these developments led to the shutting down of several KSOU centres in both the Telugu States. And, what is more, the KSOU administration said in unequivocal terms that it can be held responsible for the developments.
Kiran, a student who had completed his BCom said he is yet to receive his degree certificates. Finding fault with the UGC directive, a study centre organiser Deepak said, “the JNTU-H in Hyderabad has been allowed to offer technical courses though correspondent-cum-contact classes in distance mode. But, the same has been denied to KSOU,” he said.
According to one estimate, as many as 5 lakh students from not only two Telugu States but also from Tamil Nadu and Kerala were affected by the UGC action. There is a sigh of relief with the Karnataka High Court restraining the State government from acting upon any recommendations of the Ratna Prabha committee, pending disposal of the case. Reacting to the development, BJP Telangana president K Laxman, while dismissing any political angle in UGC denying recognition said, “The Telangana State government should take up the issue with their counterparts in Karnataka and UGC. As a party, we will support such move to save the future of students,” he added.
