Karnataka State Open University Vice-Chancellor S. Vidyashankar on Friday said the admissions in July cycle at the university is expected to go up with the dual degree programme getting the approval. This year, a target has been set for giving admissions to one lakh students and providing them quality education, incorporating modern tools for taking distance education closer to the students, he said.
Addressing presspersons in Mandya, the Vice-Chancellor said 1,200 admissions had been done at the KSOU’s Mandya Regional Centre last year. This year, the target set for the centre is 5,000.
He said recognition has been sought for BSW, MSW, MCA courses from the University Grants Commission. “We are confident of getting the recognition and these three courses will be commenced from this admission cycle onwards.”
The VC said KSOU admissions have gone online and there is complete transparency in the admissions besides payment of fees. The regional centres are being strengthened to facilitate students make use of the facilities and take up open and distance learning (ODL).
KSOU, the State’s only Open University, has got the exclusive right of running courses under open distance learning (ODL) mode with the passage of the Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in the Legislative Assembly. The KSOU is hoping to expand its reach and attract more students within its jurisdiction in view of the status.
The KSOU had taken trong exception to the conventional universities offering ODL courses and sought the government’s intervention of giving it the sole right of running distance education programmes in the State.
The government took the decision in KSOU’s favour with the intention of helping the university expand its student base besides providing exclusive self-learning materials to the students.
“I am travelling across the State to improve admissions. I am visiting all the regional centres and explaining to the people the facilities that are being offered by the KSOU,” Prof. Vidyashankar said.
