Mysore:  Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), which recently obtained re-recognition by the University Grants Commission (UGC), has finally issued admission notification 2019-20 (July Session) yesterday.

It may be mentioned that Vice-Chancellor Prof. D. Shivalingaiah, addressing a press meet at KSOU auditorium in Muktagangothri campus here on Friday, had said that the notification for July 2019 cycle admission will be issued in a week.

He said that after the UGC granted re-recognition to KSOU for a period of five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23, the Open University invited applications from students for July 2018 cycle for various programmes and approximately 12,000 students were admitted.

Pointing out that eligible students can apply for Under-Graduate Programmes (BA, B.Com, B.Lib.I.Sc), Post-Graduate Programmes (MA, M.Com, MBA, M.Sc., M.Lib.I.Sc), PG Diploma Courses in various disciplines, Diploma Course in Kannada, Journalism, Nutrition and Health Education, Information Science and Computer Application and Certificate Courses in Kannada, Panchayat Raj, Nutrition and Food, once the notification is issued in a week, he said that applications will be accepted only through online. The last date for admission is Aug.31, 2019.

Online application mandatory

The online application has been made mandatory as all the applications received along with required documents has to be shared with the UGC within 10 days after the Aug.31 deadline.

Students may obtain the required information from the KSOU’s official website  www.ksoumysore.karnataka.gov.in, where details of prospectus, fees prescribed for various programmes, details of programmes etc., are available, he said.

Stating that students need not come to Mysuru for seeking admission and can contact their nearest Regional Study Centre, which are 17 in number across the State (all in district headquarters), the Vice-Chancellor maintained that there is no difference between the degrees obtained through the Open University and the degrees obtained from conventional Universities.

Tuition fee not hiked

Declaring that KSOU has not enhanced tuition fee and fees which were in existence during the year 2014-15 are continued even now, he said that KSOU is hoping to get permission to admit students for LLM and B.Ed Courses in the next cycle (Jan. 2020) and added that there are plans to start 6-month skill development courses too from next year.

To seek tax exemption

He further said that the tax auditing of the University from 1996 to 2018 has been completed and the KSOU would seek tax exemption under Rule 12(A) shortly.