Bengaluru: Karnataka State Legislative Assembly has approved Karnataka State Universities and certain other Law (second Amendment) Bill-2020 which has facilitated only Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in Mysuru to offer distance education in the State.

The Bill was tabled by Deputy Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan in the Assembly yesterday. Explaining the salient features of the Bill, he said earlier all the Varsities were offering distance education. Henceforth, distance education would be offered only by KSOU which has its jurisdiction all over the State. All other conventional Universities must immediately stop offering distance education.

Prof. S. Vidyashankar, Vice-Chancellor, KSOU, is the most happy man as the 25-year-old dream became reality after the Legislative Assembly approved the Bill to this effect.

Talking to Star of Mysore, he said the KSOU (earlier Institute of Correspondence Course and Continuing Education – ICC&CE) was established with the sole intention of offering distance education to those who cannot afford to attend the regular colleges. It was a State University on the lines of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) which were offering medical and engineering courses respectively to students. The KSOU has established good infrastructure in all its regional offices in 20 districts. However, the Varsity was worried about its existence since all conventional Universities started offering distance education in degree, under graduate, post graduate and doctoral courses. This definitely hit enrolment of students.

He said even University Grants Commission (UGC) had taken strong objection over conventional Universities offering distance education and had asked the State Government do something in this regard. Since then, the Varsity authorities were putting pressure on the Government to make KSOU as the one and only Varsity to offer distance education at least in the State because of its track record of offering quality education to needy at affordable fees. First, the issue was okayed in the State Cabinet and next an ordinance was passed since the State Legislature was not in motion. Now, the Bill was placed in the Assembly and got it passed.

Good enrolment

The VC said despite COVID-19 pandemic, 18,000 students have enrolled their names for different courses offered as against the total strength of 50,000. The enrolment would go up further in the coming days with the State Government asking all the conventional Universities to stop offering distance education and that whole lot of students would now come to KSOU. In fact, self-learning material being given to students has been considered best in the country. Many students of this Varsity have cleared KPSC exams and also got appointed as lecturers. “I am optimistic that Gross Enrolment Ratio which is around 25 per cent now may touch 50 per cent by 203,” he added.

Prof. Vidyashankar said there would be no shortage of faculty if more number of students enrol their names for degree, UG, PG and doctoral courses in the coming days. There is a provision to hire teaching faculty from other Colleges to take classes. Besides, the Varsity can establish Learners’ Supporting Centres in the conventional Varsities for the sake of students. “Fee charged to students is very less when compared with the conventional courses,”   he added.

I am thankful to Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa and Higher Education Minister Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan for fulfilling our 25-year-old dream. The Varsity will strive hard to work to the expectations of every one. — Prof. S. Vidyashankar, Vice-Chancellor, KSOU