Question : Karnataka State Open University

(a) whether the University Grants Commission (UGC) has derecognised some technical and
professional courses offered by Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysore;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether UGC has taken any decision regarding continuing recognition of courses offered by
KSOU;
(d) if so, the derecognition amounts to violation of Right to Education and Rights to Equality;
(e) whether KSOU has violated the norms for courses offered in open and distance learning
mode and have agreed to comply with the norms; and
(f) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

(a) to (f): The Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysore is a State University offering
courses on the distance mode. It was accorded institutional recognition by the Distance
Education Council (DEC) of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) up to 2012-13.
For the year 2013-14, the UGC had withdrawn the approval since the university was found to
have violated the norms, specifically the territorial jurisdictional aspect in imparting general,
technical & professional courses/programmes without the prior approval of the statutory
authorities.
Subsequently, the university agreed to abide by the norms and guidelines of UGC and requested
to accord recogntion for the years 2013-14 to 2015-16. The Expert Committee consituted to
examine the matter however, had not recommended the ex-post facto approval for the years
2013-14 and 2014-15.
Further to consider the recognition for the year 2015-16, another Expert Committee visited the
university in December, 2015 and found various violations of the UGC norms and therefore
approval could not be granted for year 2015-16.
The action of UGC is in accordance with the regulatory framework.
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