Mysuru: With the deadline to submit application forms for admission (without penalty fee) to 17 courses that were granted recognition by the UGC recently ending on Thursday (Sept.20), the KSOU seems to be in a spot of bother as only 3,000 applications were received by it.

However, deadline for applying along with a penally fee of Rs.200 is Oct.1. The admission, which commenced from Aug.27, ended on Sept.20 (Without penally fee).

Before the KSOU courses were de-recognised by the UGC in 2015, the University used to receive nearly 40,000 applications from students across the country. But the paltry 3,000 applications received so far by the KSOU after the UGC granted re-recognition, has been a cause of worry for the KSOU, which was hoping to regain its past glory with a good number of admissions.

That the UGC de-recognised KSOU courses in 2015, may be one of the reasons for the students disinterest in seeking admission.

Another reason may be the change in rules. Prior to de-recognition, the KSOU used to admit students directly for various courses based on age, sans any formal education. But now, the KSOU is making admission based on the required educational qualification to its under graduate and post-graduate courses, just like any other conventional University, which also is one of the major reasons for the sharp decline in admissions.

With the KSOU degree and post-graduate degree courses being considered on par with other conventional University, employees of both State and Central Government can apply seeking admission to various courses offered by the KSOU.

Even as the KSOU announced new admission (2018-19) for its 17 courses that got nod from the UGC recently, the fate of 95,000 students who had enrolled for various under-graduate and post-graduate courses in 2013-14 and 2014-15, hangs in the balance as the UGC has invalidated the degrees offered in the said two years.

Despite the best efforts of the University administrators and officials to get recognition, the UGC is yet to take a decision on granting recognition for 2013-14 and 2014-15 courses.