KSOU yet to Get Recognition from UGC for Starting its Academic Session 

The Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) is yet to decide whether University Grants Commission's give approval to commence admissions for 2016-17. It is the sole open university of the state and has denied approval three times in three academics by the UGC.

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While giving the information D Shivalingaiah, vice-chancellor of KSOU said that the varsity has followed all UGC's conditions and terminated all MOU with academic collaborators in the state and outside too.

The VC added further that it has also stopped private study centres from offering degrees from KSOU and closed all professional courses from the university that violated the norms.

The university has got several appeals from academic collaborators for registration of the candidates that enrolled with the university during 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years. Now the open university has forwarded these requests to the UGC for a final decision, the VC added further.

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More facts about KSOU:

• The University has stopped Masters in Philosophy and Ph.D courses.
• It has submitted all the relevant documents to UGC with proof.
• It has sought permission to start the admission process and give them recognition.
• If UGC gives KSOU recognition in the academic season, about 70,000 people may enrol for various correspondence courses.
• On the refunds to the students, no decision has been taken who have enrolled for professional courses offered by KSOU before it was derecognised by the UGC.

Right now few cases are pending in the high court and the university has already spent money on conducting examinations for the professional courses. Therefore the university is not in a position to take any decision on refunding of fees to students enrolled with informed Shivalingaiah.

Basavaraj Rayareddi, Minister for higher education Karnataka expressed his hope that UGC will give KSOU recognition for 2016-17, as it has complied with all conditions.

But surprisingly, expert committees of UGC that visited KSOU over the past few years have given completely negative feedback about non-compliance of norms.