Bengaluru: Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in Mysuru will not shut down, said Higher Education Minister Basavaraja Rayareddy yesterday. That is a U-turn for the Minister, who had last week said the University may collapse and it will be developed as a Skill Training Centre.

Following intense criticism and protests over his off-the-cuff remarks, Rayareddy said that an expert committee has been constituted to study and find alternatives to keep alive the KSOU after the University Grants Commission (UGC) derecognised it.

The panel, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha, will include former Vice-Chancellor of Gulbarga University Prof V.B. Coutinho, Registrar of Bangalore University Prof B.K. Ravi and Executive Director of Karnataka State Higher Education Council Prof. S.A. Kori and the controller of State Accounts or a nominee of similar deputation.

“The committee has been asked to submit a detailed report by November. From those recommendations, alternatives to keep the Varsity alive will be sought,” the Minister said and added that the committee will look for alternatives and figure out what can be done if the UGC grants the recognition and also if it doesn’t. “If the UGC is not giving recognition, then in the worst case, we will have to set up a new University,” he said.

“Though the State government was trying to revive the University, the Union government and the UGC were not cooperating. There are funds of over Rs. 450 crore with the University. After de-recognising it in 2014, the UGC had set some conditions to recognise it. We fulfilled the conditions and a Minister and I had tried to meet the UGC Chairman. But, I was denied audience for reasons unknown,” he said.

“I personally met Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar four times requesting help in reopening the University. I also wrote three letters to him regarding this. He promised to help, but did nothing,” Rayareddy said.

The Minister also put to rest the allegations that the government will take over the remaining funds in the University and that the government would take over the Varsity. Rayareddy said, “There is Rs. 693 crore in the FD account of the University. Why will the government need the University’s funds? We don’t want the money, we want to ensure KSOU is functioning again soon,” he added.

“For candidates who have registered for 2013-14 examinations were conducted and marks cards issued, but the degrees have not been awarded. The number of students who passed the examinations is 18,259 and 30,695 students have not appeared for it,” he said.

“During 2014-15, 1,462 students have passed and marks cards were received, but certificates were not issued. At least 37,234 students have not written the exams. As UGC debarred the University in June 2015 with retrospective effect, the students who took the examination for 2013-14, 2014-15 are being penalised,” the Minister stated.

Full-time VCs to be finalised soon:On the appointment of full-time Vice-Chancellors to Bangalore and Mysore Universities, the Minister said that the files have reached the Raj Bhavan from the Chief Minister’s office. “The final nod on the appointment is facing delays as the Governor’s office is still under the process of collecting more information on the track records of recommended names before taking a final call,” said Rayareddy.