Bengaluru:  An audit probe has been ordered into various scams at Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) including the purchase of marks cards. The Karnataka State Audit and Accounts Department has been requested to conduct a probe, said Higher Education Minister G.T. Devegowda (GTD).

The Minister was replying to an unmarked question by MLA Ramdas at the ongoing Assembly session at Belagavi. Ramdas had asked the government about the action taken on certain scams that have been noted by Justice Bhakthavatsala Committee and the compliance report submitted by the KSOU to Audit and Accounts Department and the Auditor General’s Office.

Replying to the questions raised by Ramdas in writing, Minister GTD has stated that following Justice Bhakthavatsala Committee report, Karnataka Governor, who is the Chancellor of Universities, had directly asked the KSOU to submit a compliance report.

FIRs have been registered at Jayalakshmipuram Police Station against former Vice-Chancellors of KSOU and certain other authorities who were at the helm of KSOU and the cases are still being investigated.  

Also, a Departmental probe is underway to recover the money that has been siphoned off from the KSOU, the Minster stated.

Further, the Minister said that a probe has been ordered where the Audit and Accounts Department will investigate the purchase of 20 lakh marks cards at a cost of Rs. 6.30 crore.

The services of over 22 lecturers have been confirmed against the University rules and all of them are drawing UGC salary. Even this report has been submitted to the Governor for action, the Minister stated.

The State Government has not formed any new rules for KSOU to offer technical, health and music courses and such courses could be offered after the mandatory clearance from regulatory authorities like University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Medical Council of India (MCI), GTD stated.

Like the Universities of Bangalore, Mysore, Kuvempu, Mangalore and Karnataka, even KSOU can conduct distance education courses — with the permission from the UGC — at its various regional centres. Permission has been sought from the Governor to issue convocation certificates to KSOU students who have completed distance education courses during 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. The Governor has asked or some clarifications from the government in this regard, the Minister stated.

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