Mysuru: Former Minister S.A. Ramdas will be leading a contingent of aggrieved KSOU students to meet Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar during his visit to BJP State Head Quarters in Bengaluru on Oct. 13 to press for his intervention in getting UGC re-recognition to Karnataka State Open University (KSOU).

Addressing the press persons at Pathrakarthara Bhavan here this morning, Ramdas called upon the aggrieved students to assemble at Jagannath Bhavan at BJP State Head Quarters in Malleshwaram, Bengaluru, at 8.30 am on that day.

He also said that around 5,000 students belonging to 2013-14 and 2014-15 batch had written a letter to Prime Minster Narendra Modi seeking his intervention and the PMO had written a letter to the State Government to look into the matter.

Ramdas said that apart from seeking re-recognition, he would also demand a CBI inquiry into the alleged misappropriations. Stating that the students from 2013-14 and 2014-15 batches were being denied admission for higher studies in University of Mysore and to appear for KPSC competitive examinations, the former Minister demanded the State Government to pass an order to consider the students for admission and also for competitive exams.

He also expressed confidence of the issues being resolved by 2018-19 academic year.  

Corporator B.V. Manjunath, aggrieved students Shivakumar and Nandeesh were present at the press meet.

It may be recalled that the aggrieved students of KSOU decided at a meeting to make all efforts to get the UGC recognition back and to save the University from being closed at any cost by putting pressure on Central and State Governments.

This decision was taken at a meeting organised by Aggrieved Students with the tag line ‘Save University, Save Students, Let us fight to get UGC recognition back,’  chaired by S.A. Ramdas at the Cauvery Auditorium in Mukta Gangothri campus here yesterday.

Ramdas and members of the Save KSOU Horata Samithi K.S. Shivaram, Jagadish Babu, Chandresh, Prakash Giri, Gurudutt, Bhaskar, Veeregowda and Ranganath held discussions about the future course of action.

Speaking on the occasion, Ramdas said that because of violating rules and the decision of a few earlier Vice-Chancellors taken outside the purview of KSOU guidelines, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had withdrawn the recognition in 2015. As a result, lakhs of students for no fault of theirs are suffering today, he regretted.

However, he had some information about steps being taken by the University for getting the recognition back from UGC for the year 2017-18. The UGC expert committee had visited KSOU on Dec. 11 and 12 and based on the views submitted on Feb. 16, 2016, it had submitted a report on Apr. 22, 2017 to follow the guidelines, he said.

The Additional Chief Secretary, Vice-Chancellor and other officials of KSOU frequently visited UGC and have given the related documents without wasting any time.

The Chief Minister, Union Ministers Ananth Kumar, Sadananda Gowda, a few MPs and Legislators have also written to the UGC seeking re-recognition. As the UGC Expert Committee has recognised, there is no problem with relation to the students who have got direct admission and again there is no change in the documents submitted to the UGC as demanded by them for the year 2017-18, he said.

In the light of this, everyone concerned should come together unitedly and  fight for the rights of the students and their future, keeping party affiliations aside. Pressure should be put on the State and Central Governments to get the UGC recognition back, urged Ramdas and everyone present unanimously approved this move.

Decisions

The meeting deicded to take stringent action according to Law against those responsible for the present plight of students; To meet the Governor; To put pressure to implement the Bhaktavatsalam Committee report based on the directions given by the Governor; To urge the State Government to pass an order to recognise students who have passed the exams before 2013.