KSOU receives recognition for another 14 courses

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has accorded recognition to the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) to offer another 14 courses from the academic year 2018-19 to 2022-23.

The UGC had permitted to offer 17 non-technical courses in August and another 14 courses are approved on Wednesday, said KSOU Vice-Chancellor D Shivalingaiah. The admission process has commenced and the last date to apply is October 20, the VC said in a press conference.

“Now, the varsity has got legal status with recognition for 31 courses. We had applied for 32 courses, but, except LLM, all courses are approved. As per the UGC norms, KSOU has created three posts of professors for each course and retired professors will be appointed on a temporary basis,” he said.

It has to be recalled that the KSOU’s recognition was cancelled in 2013 as it was found to have opened centres outside Karnataka in violation of the UGC norms, had signed MoUs with private institutions, and was offering technical courses without the approval of the apex bodies concerned. After repeated pleas by the authorities concerned, the UGC had asked the KSOU to give details of its regional centres, its infrastructure, staff strength and other resources. A commission, headed by professor H P Dixit, studied the KSOU documents in December 2016 and submitted a report to the UGC.

The VC said, as many as 9,000 students have applied for 17 courses that were approved in August and the varsity expects to get 20,000 students.

Students can obtain the application form and fee payment challan on the website www.ksoumysore.karnataka.gov.in.