Hope for 95k graduates of Karnataka State Open University who had degrees derecognised?

Over 95,000 students whose results of various degrees have been withheld by the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) due to de-recognition of courses by UGC, can hope for good news in 2 months time.

 Addressing a press meet here on Monday, KSOU vice-chancellor Prof. D Shivalingaiah said candidates who had enrolled for in-house courses during the academic years 2013-14 and 2014-15 had approached court seeking to recognise their degrees. "We are are expecting a favourable verdict from the High Court on the basis of an affidavit filed by the university. In the affidavit, the university has contended that these courses were in-house and were carried out as per the norms of UGC. No violation has taken place in offering in-house courses unlike the technical and para-medical courses which had no sanction from the concerned authorities," he said. 

The vice-chancellor said they are expecting over 50,000 students to take admissions in KSOU for the present academic year for which admissions opened a week ago and will close on July 25 (without penal fee) and August 31 (with penal fee). He urged students to take admissions without any hesitation stating that all their courses have got legal status and they have met all requirements of the UGC.

 The VC said they have made provision for admissions and examination in all their regional centres and candidates need not go all the way to Mysuru for the same. He said there is no difference between the degrees obtained through the Open University and the degrees obtained from the conventional universities. There were instances of some government agencies and private companies not recognising the KSOU courses for employment and promotions. Letters were issued to them citing the UGC rules after which they obliged, he said.