Expedite decision on KSOU plea, HC tells UGC

The Karnataka High Court has asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) to take a decision on the application of the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) seeking recognition for the year 2018-19 in an expeditious manner.

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Dinesh Kumar was hearing a writ appeal filed by the UGC.

The UGC counsel submitted that the writ appeal has been filed challenging the single bench order to accord recognition to KSOU for the academic year 2017-18. The single bench ordered to give recognition for 2017-18 at par with 106 other universities. The counsel representing UGC said that recognition to 106 universities was granted in the year 2015-16.

The counsel for UGC said the KSOU had made online application seeking recognition for 2018-19. The counsel further added that the said application is under process by the UGC.  

Further, the counsel assured the court that UGC shall take objective decision on the application for the academic year 2018-19, irrespective of the pendency of the writ appeal challenging the order to grant recognition for 2017-18. 

The matter was adjourned for hearing to June 11.

Judge recuses himself from Ex-MLC case

High Court judge Justice Raghavendra Chauhan on Monday recused himself from hearing an interlocutory application seeking vacation of stay on the order of Mysuru tahsildar, which annulled the alleged fake caste certificate of former BJP MLC, Siddaraju. S H Subhash had filed the said application.

Siddaraju has challenged the order of the tahsildar in the high court and the court had granted an interim stay. The court had also directed the tahasildar to issue Scheduled Caste certificate to Siddaraju. According to Subhash, Siddaraju is contesting May 12 Assembly elections as BJP candidate from HD Kote (Heggadadevana Kote) constituency - reserved for ST candidate - though he belongs to Backward Castes.