KSOU students await UGC decision on panel report

Girish KS, passed out with a bachelors degree from the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in 2014. 

Subsequently when he wanted to pursue his post graduation from IGNOU, he was told that he could not do so as his degree was not valid. He has lost an entire year just waiting for a decision on the recognition of KSOU.  

On Saturday, during the course of a seminar on open and distance education in the City, he highlighted these concerns in the presence of Bangalore University vice-chancellor B Thimmegowda, former vice-chancellor IGNOU, H P Dikshit, and others, hoping to get some answers. 

But Girish, like several other students, will have to wait till the University Grants Commission (UGC) takes a decision on a report from a fact-finding committee on KSOU. 

The seminar was organised by Bangalore University and the Forum of Former Vice-Chancellors of Karnataka State Universities (FVCK).  

“I could not enrol into a regular university due to financial constraints. I planned to complete my masters degree and then do more things. These plans are however all in limbo. The UGC had derecognised courses of the KSOU from 2012-13.

 However, I took admission from the academic year 2011-14. The UGC has been indiscriminate,” said Girish. He said he even tried enquiring about distance education courses under BU but found out about their de-recognition as well. 

Girish’s sister, who did an MBA from KSOU, is also suffering the same fate. “She cannot find work and cannot go for higher studies as a result of this,” he said.  
   When asked about the status of recognition of KSOU, Dikshit, who was the chairman of a seven-man fact-finding committee to probe the KSOU, said there were “gaps” in the documents submitted by the university. 

The committee has already submitted its report to the UGC. 

The UGC had derecognised courses under KSOU last June for “flouting norms” of distance education such as operating beyond the state’s territorial boundaries and offering technical and medical courses.  

Dr M S Parthasarthy, regional director, IGNOU regional centre, Bengaluru, highlighted a number of concerns in distance education like coordination between bodies looking after distance education in the country and the need for giving more importance to distance education in dual mode settings of regular universities.