Mysuru: A meeting scheduled between the state higher education minister Basavaraj Rayaraddi and senior authorities of the
University of Mysore (UoM) and the
Karnataka State Open University (
KSOU) on Thursday was cancelled at the eleventh hour.
According to sources, the minister called off his Mysuru visit to meet chief minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru. This has disappointed the students and authorities the both the universities as they were expecting solution to various issues faced by their respective institutes.
According to official itinerary of the minister, he was supposed to hold the meeting with the vice chancellors and senior authorities of both the universities between 3pm and 6pm. “But on Thursday morning, authorities of both the varsities were informed that the meeting has been cancelled,” said a source.
UoM in-charge vice chancellor C Basavaraju confirmed that the meeting was cancelled, but didn’t elaborate on the reasons.
According to sources, Rayaraddi was scheduled to attend a wedding in Gundlupet on Thursday morning. In the afternoon, he was scheduled to meet the authorities from both the universities in Mysuru. “But he cancelled all his prior engagements due to an important meeting with the chief minister,” said a source in the state higher education department.
Disappointment
According to authorities from both the universities, they were expecting solutions to various long-pending problems. “UoM is facing issues like faculty shortage, delay in appointment of regular vice chancellor, additional funds for infrastructure, upgradation etc. KSOU authorities were waiting for government assurance on permanent recognition for various courses, meeting the UGC representatives on the future of 2013-14, 2014-15 batch students, launching new courses from the next academic year etc. But with the minister cancelling his visit, all hopes have been dashed,” said an officer who wished not to be named.
“In meetings convened in Bengaluru, we don’t get enough time to raise our issues. Here we were given three hours,” he said.
