The frustrated teaching and non-teaching staff of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) — which has been awaiting recognition for over two years — have now decided to seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to end the imbroglio.
In a petition to the Prime Minister’s Office, 11 teaching and 35 non-teaching faculty members of KSOU have urged the PM for immediate and direct intervention to resolve the crisis. The staff members said the poor, rural candidates, working women and housewives have been hit hard by the University Grants Commission’s decision to terminate recognition for the university from the 2013-14 academic year.
They said KSOU, set up in 1996, had been serving the poor, oppressed, backward, rural, women and other such disadvantaged sections of society to obtain higher education and build their careers.
“All the terms and conditions laid down by the UGC for recognition have been strictly complied with by the university. Yet, the UGC is delaying granting of recognition. Despite several appeals, demonstrations, protests for resolving the issue, the UGC, State government and Union government have not acted positively and have been neglecting the issue,” the petitioners said in a release here.
KSOU had approached the High Court of Karnataka seeking relief. The High Court, in its order dated December 12, 2017, directed the UGC to restore recognition within two weeks.
Scores of students are waiting for their marks cards and degree certificates to pursue higher education. Any further delay will cast serious doubt over the intentions of the authorities at the helm of affairs in resolving the crisis, said the staff.
‘Important like Mahadayi’
They also said the KSOU issue was as important as the Mahadayi water-sharing dispute. “Just as water is essential for survival, education is important for one’s development. We are therefore urging the Prime Minister to take cognisance of this important matter,” the faculty said in the release.
