Govt does U-turn on KSOU Registrar’s appointment; withdraws order within 48 hours

Mysuru: In a surprising move, the Karnataka State government has withdrawn its order appointing KAS officer S Kusuma Kumari as the Registrar of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), just two days after the announcement.

The reversal comes amidst an escalating cold war between KSOU Vice-Chancellor Sharanappa V Halase and the State government over protocol violations and the hosting of a controversial private event.

Power tussle

Kusuma Kumari, who recently served as Additional Commissioner of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), was slated to take charge on Monday, replacing the current Registrar (Administration) S K Naveen Kumar.

The government’s decision to appoint a KAS-grade officer — breaking a two-decade tradition of appointing professors to the post in KSOU — was seen as an attempt to tighten the administrative control.

However, the sudden withdrawal of her appointment has now sparked intense speculation in the academic and political circles.

Protocol row

The friction between the VC and the Higher Education Department peaked during the ‘Ekatma Manava Darshan’ Bharat’s Worldview, an international academic conference, organised by Karnataka unit of Prajna Pravah and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, at the Convocation Hall of KSOU, on Muktagangotri campus, in Mysuru, from March 25 to 27.

The State government had ordered the cancellation of the event, alleging a protocol breach, as the State Higher Education Minister was excluded from the invitee list, while the Governor and Union Ministers were invited.

Frozen accounts

Meanwhile, the government ordered the freezing of KSOU’s bank accounts.

The current Registrar, Naveen Kumar, a professor from Mangalore University, was appointed seven months ago, after his predecessor faced corruption charges. Observers suggest that the flip-flop on Kusuma Kumari’s appointment indicates a deeper administrative crisis and ongoing negotiations behind the scenes.