JOIN US The delay on the part of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in recognising the distance education courses for the academic year commencing June, has left Bangalore University(BU) officials stumped and anxious.
The UGC had again refused to recognise the affiliation of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU). Courses under KSOU and BU were derecognised last year and admissions have been banned.
B Thimmegowda, Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore University said, “I don’t understand the reason for the delay. I asked them to give us a definite reply. However, no committee has visited us yet.”
He further said that the delay was due to the dissolution of the Distance Education Council (DEC) under IGNOU and transfer of its powers to the UGC back in 2013.
The UGC announced its decision to cancel recognition for distance education courses under BU last year for not getting approvals for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015. “There is no lapse from our side. However, we are working towards securing recognition by the start of the new academic year. When I went to Delhi recently, I highlighted the issue. A meeting is scheduled on March 9 and I will raise the issue once again,” the VC added.
Dr D Jeevan Kumar, in-charge director, Department of Correspondence Courses and Distance Education (DCC and DC), said that a team from UGC was likely to visit BU soon.
Earlier, he had told Deccan Herald that if the matter was not cleared by June, when admissions for distance courses begin, it was likely to not have any students for the new academic year, 2016-17. From 14,507 students in 2010 to 3,222 in 2014, admissions for distance courses at BU has been on the wane over the years.