Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court yesterday directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to respond to the petition filed by Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) by Oct. 31.

The petition had stated that it (KSOU) had sought direction from the UGC to grant recognition for the University to offer courses under distant education scheme by direct or in-house method of admission without any academic collaboration with private institutions. Hearing the KSOU’s petition, Justice G. Narendar asked the UGC to file its statements and adjourned further hearing until Nov. 2.

The KSOU said that UGC should have considered the University’s plea to grant recognition to offer courses through in-house admission method for the year 2017-18, within a reasonable period. This request had been made eight months ago, it said in its petition.

The allegations of illegalities and irregularities were related to admissions through Academic Collaborative System (ACS) with private institutions and certainly, no violations were found by the UGC in the in-house or direction admission system. Hence, it was not difficult for UGC to grant recognition for the latter system, it claimed in its petition.

“Despite all risks, pressure and influences, it has virtually closed down the ACS,” claimed the KSOU. The University’s infrastructure are now being wasted for the last two academic years because of the UGC as no admissions were made during the academic years 2015-16, 2016-17 and also for 2017-18.

Describing the public notice issued by the UGC in June 2015 discontinuing recognition to KSOU from the academic year 2013-14 as illegal, it stated that the UGC had taken a decision of discontinuing the recognition only at its meeting held in February 2016.

KSOU has also pointed out in its petition that the UGC Act, 1956, does not confer any right to de-recognise and to make a university defunct, as the powers vested with UGC are to coordinate, regulate and to maintain the standards of higher education in the country.