KSOU women's regional centre set up in Bangalore

Chief MInister Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday launched the Karnataka State Open University’s (KSOU) Women’s Regional Centre at Government PU College at Malleswaram in the City.

The Centre will function on the lines of KSOU offering nearly 400 courses, especially for women. It will offer vocational, degree and postgraduate courses in both distance education and regular mode.

Interestingly, the domination of male political leaders marked the launch programme. The dais was occupied by 16 guests, including Shettar, MLA Ashwathnarayana, Mysore University Vice Chancellor Rangappa and corporators. Only three women corporators were invited to the dais. Also, the academic community was poorly represented at the launch.

Shettar called for an increase in reservation for women to 50 per cent. “Eventually, we have to lead the society to a space where women will be treated on a par with men sans reservation,” he said adding that the state needed more women entrepreneurs and leaders.

Speaking on the sidelines of the programme, Mysore University V-C Rangappa, whose appointment last week has been mired in controversies, said all the allegations against him were baseless.

Rangappa is accused of misusing his position in deciding eligibility criterion for admissions in a degree college in Mysore. It is alleged that he reduced the eligibility bar only to favour his son’s admission in the college.

He has also been accused of plagiarising research papers to present them for international journals.

Prof M S Thimmappa, search committee member for selecting Mysore University V-C had given a dissent note on Rangappa’s appointment in the light of the alleged irregularities. Thimmappa had recommended the government to look for other eligible candidates as Rangappa had already enjoyed a term as the V-C of KSOU.