KSOU violates order, hosts conference; govt freezes bank accounts

Bengaluru: The government, on Wednesday, requested banks to freeze the accounts of Mysuru-based Karnataka State Open University
(KSOU).  

The principal secretary to the higher education department has communicated via email to the authorities of State Bank of India, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank, where KSOU has its accounts, and requested banks to freeze them. 

The action comes a day after the reply by KSOU vice chancellor Sharanappa Halse to the notice by the government, questioning the university for hosting ‘Ekatma Manava Darshan,’ Bharat’s world view, an international academic conference organised by the Karnataka unit of Prajna Pravah and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation from March 25 to 27 on its campus. 

The lecture series is organised to mark 60 years of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of ‘integral humanism’ (Ekatma Manavavad).

As the reply by the VC was not satisfactory, the department issued an order cancelling the event, late in the evening on Tuesday.

“In order to safeguard public funds and ensure integrity of the inquiry by the one-man committee constituted by the Governor, you are hereby requested to freeze (debit freeze) all bank accounts of the university, including linked accounts, till further orders,” the order said.

It said credits may be permitted, but no change in account operations shall be allowed.

“The measure has been taken following prima facie financial irregularities at the university,” the communication said.

“It is not right to have permitted a private organisation to hold an event at a time when the commission is probing the lack of discipline in administrative matters and financial irregularities in KSOU. If permission is given to hold such private events, it may indirectly influence the probe. Taking unilateral decisions, forgetting the objectives of the university, embarrasses the government,” it says.

Congress’ Ramesh Babu had raised the issue in the Legislative Council recently and demanded action against the VC for hosting the event on the campus and violating protocol.

Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar had replied that the government would not allow KSOU to hold the lecture series.