The aggrieved students of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) plan to meet Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar over the matter of University Grants Commission (UGC) recognition for the varsity.
Former Minister S.A. Ramdas said on Wednesday that he would lead the students’ delegation and facilitate their meeting with Mr. Javadekar, who is slated to visit the BJP State headquarters in Bengaluru on Friday.
“The Minister has already been apprised about the issue. This will be a platform for the students’ community to interact directly with the Minister to resolve the issue,” he said. Mr. Ramdas said the career and future of thousands of students were at stake for no fault of theirs, and though hundreds of KSOU students have written to the authorities, their words have fallen on deaf ears.
The students’ decision to approach the HRD Ministry is in continuation of the ‘Save KSOU’ movement launched by the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat (ABVP). Mr. Ramdas said there were every indications that KSOU would get recognition this year as a lot of effort has gone into meeting the UGC norms.
Seeking a CBI probe into the affairs of KSOU for violation of norms, Mr. Ramdas said there were allegations of misappropriation of funds. As a result of this and other violations, students of the 2013-14 and 2014-15 batches are being deprived of opportunities to compete in recruitment examinations, he said.
Incidentally, a few retired vice-chancellors have expressed similar views and have asked the government and the HRD Ministry to resolve the imbroglio.
The NGO Mysore Grahakara Parishat also has written to the Prime Minister’s Office drawing its attention to the fate of the students, but to no avail.
Meanwhile, A.S. Nandeesh, a student from Mandya district, has written to the President highlighting the problems faced by students like him. He told reporters that he had sought PG admission in 2014 and wanted to write the Karnataka State Eligibility Test, but the UGC stripping the university of recognition with effect from 2013 put paid to his dreams.