Mysore/Mysuru: Expressing serious concerns over the possibility of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) facing closure due to unnecessary appointments, members of the Devaraj Urs Prathime Pratishtana Committee staged a letter campaign near Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), urging the Governor, Chief Minister and Minister for Higher Education to launch an investigation into the irregularities within KSOU.

“KSOU has been embroiled in controversies since its inception, with no apparent resolution in sight. Instead of prioritising quality education, it appears more focused on constructing buildings and making unwarranted appointments. It’s evident that the authorities are engaged in corruption by hiring excessive teaching and non-teaching staff, surpassing the actual student population,” lamented the Committee members.

They highlighted that approximately 400 teaching and non-teaching staff have been appointed between 2022 and the present, resulting in an excess of more than 1,500 personnel. This has led to an additional monthly salary expenditure of Rs. 7 crore to Rs. 8 crore.

Notably, KSOU does not receive financial grants from the Government and relies solely on revenue generated through admissions to cover expenses, including salaries and office maintenance.

Hence, the Committee members demanded immediate intervention from the Governor, Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister to rectify the irregularities by initiating a thorough probe and taking appropriate action against those found guilty. They aim to enable KSOU to fulfil its mandate of providing quality education to its students.

Former Mayor B. Purushotham, Committee President Zakir Hussain, Honorary President M. Chandrashekar, leaders from various organisations including Dyavappanayaka, Pavan Siddarama, Venkatesh, P. Raju, Radiullah Khan, Prashant Arya and others were present.

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Mysore/Mysuru: Paridrishya, a two-day 2nd International Festival of Short Films and Documentaries Karnataka will be held from Feb. 3 at Kaveri auditorium of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), said Festival Convenor M.R. Harish, here yesterday.

Addressing mediapersons at Pathrakarthara Bhavan, he said the festival will be inaugurated by actor Prakash Belawadi on Feb. 3 at 10 am, who will also deliver the keynote address. 

Star of Mysore and Mysuru Mithra Founder-Editor K.B. Ganapathy and KSOU Vice- Chancellor Prof. Sharanappa V. Halse will be the guests of honour. Dr. G.R. Chandrashekar, Founder – Chairman, Cauvery Group of Institutions and Hospitals, who is also the Chairman of Mysuru Cinema Society, will preside. Actress Haripriya will be present.

More than 300 short films and documentaries from 20 countries were screened during a competition held as part of the fest recently. Only the selected short films and documentaries will be screened during the two-day film festival, said Harish adding that a silent movie for the specially-abled audience will be screened on Feb. 3.

 The festival will culminate on Feb. 4 during which the award-winning short films and documentaries will be honoured. Film Director Girish Kasaravalli and other dignitaries will be present at the valedictory event.

Co-convenors of the Film Festival Padmavathi S. Bhat and G.R. Chethan were present at the press meet.

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The programme will be broadcast every Friday from 6.40 am to 6.50 am and repeat broadcast the same evening from 5.45 pm to 5.55 pm

Mysore/Mysuru: The radio series of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru-sponsored ‘KSOU Mutka Vani’ will be broadcast on Akashvani Mysore (All India Radio) from Jan. 12, 2024 to Jan. 3, 2025, to reach more number of people with the information related to the courses offered in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.

The programme will be broadcast every Friday from 6.40 am to 6.50 am and the repeat broadcast the same evening from 5.45 pm to 5.55 pm.

KSOU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof. Sharanappa V. Halse told media persons here this morning, “The radio series will begin with my interview on Jan. 12. For 52 weeks, the Officers of the Varsity, HoDs, Directors and Professors will be sharing information about their respective departments, in the form of interviews.”

The radio programme will be an opportunity for KSOU to openly share the information related to its various activities to reach the households with its relevant, competitive and qualitative degree courses, with the aid of modern technology. It will come in handy for the general public and students to address their academic requirements, added the VC.

KSOU, which was founded in the year 1996 with the slogan ‘Higher Education for Everyone Everywhere,’ has been catering to several lakhs of students irrespective of age (18-year-old to 80-year-old) by reaching higher education to their doorstep. It is in the forefront offering higher education on par with regular Varsities. With 35 Regional Centres and 180 Learning Centres, it is easy to get admission to KSOU.

Being the one of its kind University with NAAC A+ grade, KSOU is offering UGC-recognised 53 Graduate and Post-Graduate and Diploma courses and also admission to Ph.D research. In addition to this, new courses like MSW, BSW, Hospital and Health Management, MBA, MCA and 10 various online course are also introduced, said Prof. Halse.

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Mysore/Mysuru: At the State-level light music competition jointly organised by Karnataka State Open University (KSOU)  and Kuvempu Research  and Extension Centre to commemorate the birth anniversary of  Jnanpith awardee Kuvempu, more than 30 singers participated and rendered songs penned by the great litterateur.

The competitions were held at Kaveri auditorium of KSOU in Mukthagangothri campus in the city recently.

Speaking after inaugurating the competition, KSOU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sharanappa V. Halse said that  Kuvempu is  both Jagada Kavi (World’s Poet) and Yugada Kavi (Poet for Ages).”

“Another Kannada literary giant Da.Ra. Bendre had described Kuvempu as the poet of the world. We are influenced by reading the literature created by him in our student days. Even though we are science students, literature has imbibed values in us. Basavanna’s concern for the society and Kuvempu’s rationale thinking are relevant today and forever. All of us must imbibe the Vishwamanava consciousness preached by Kuvempu in our lives,” added Prof. Halse.

Winners

A panel of judges comprising  Vidwan R. Raghu,  Vidushi R. Nithyashri and K.S. Bhavathambe selected five persons for excellent singing in the competition.

Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University MPA student Shruthi Bhat won the first prize while Maharani’s College’s Bhramara K. Udupa got second; Music University’s MPA student T.H. Devaraj bagged the third prize; K.R. Puram Government First Grade College’s Spoorthi and Bhavya Pai were given consolation prizes.

A cash prize of Rs. 6,000, Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 2,000 were given to the first three prize winners                       respectively while Rs. 1,000 was awarded to consolation                           prize winners.

Music Varsity VC Prof. Nagesh V.  Bettakote, KSOU Study Centre Dean Prof. Ramanathan Naidu, Dean Academic  Prof. Lakshmi, Registrar Prof. K.L.N. Murthy, KSOU Kuvempu Research and Extension Centre’s Dr. Chandregowda and others  were present.

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Mysore/Mysuru: Following the launch of an inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged financial irregularities at the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in Mysuru, the investigating agency has formally requested documents from the university under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The ED, in an order dated Nov. 9, has specifically sought year-wise audit reports since 2008-09, including details such as the names and addresses of auditors. Additionally, the agency has directed the university authorities to provide details of any internal investigations conducted by the university related to the financial irregularities identified in its accounts and books from 2008-09 to the present.

Confirming this development to Star of Mysore this morning, KSOU Registrar Prof. K.L.N. Murthy said that the university would promptly submit all the requested details and documents to the investigating agency.

Addressing reports about KSOU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Sharanappa V. Halse being summoned for investigation by the ED, Murthy clarified that the VC was currently in Belagavi to meet the Higher Education Minister. In a press release, the Department of Information and Public Relations announced the postponement of the inaugural IAS/KAS exam training programme scheduled for Dec. 8 (today) at KSOU due to unavoidable circumstances. The VC’s presence was required at the ongoing Assembly session in Belagavi, as per the Government’s summons.

The ED’s investigation follows a CBI case against KSOU officials, accusing them of misappropriating Rs. 250 crore, collected as fees from students between 2009-10 and 2015-16.

Among the documents sought by the ED are financial records spanning from 2008-09 to the present, a list of all Collaborate Institutions of KSOU in India (and abroad) during the same period, details of audit reports, and copies of complaints filed by the university before law enforcement agencies concerning these irregularities.

The ED order reads: “This office is investigating a case against certain persons/entities under the provision of PMLA 2002 based on the financial irregularities observed in the audit of accounts of the University by its auditor.”

The previous BJP Government had entrusted the case to CBI and as it is a matter of economic offence, the ED has taken over the investigation.

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Mysore/Mysuru: Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) Competitive Exams Training Centre had organised the 55-day coaching camp for the aspirants of PDO, FDA and SDA exams from Sept.2. Senior IAS Officer of Arunachal Pradesh Amarnath R. Talwade will address these aspirants at KSOU’s Kaveri auditorium tomorrow (Oct.27) at 10 am.

City Police Commissioner B. Ramesh will release ‘Mukta Bhandara’ study material for the benefit of aspirants. As many as 460 aspirants from various districts took part in the camp.

KSOU Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sharanappa V. Halase will preside. Registrar Prof. K.L.N. Murthy will be present, according to a press release from the Coordinator of Training Centre Jainahalli Satyanarayana Gowda.

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New Delhi: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that is probing into the irregularities worth Rs. 300 crore at Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru, has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against unknown persons.

It has been stated in the FIR that KSOU had opened affiliate institutions across the country and also abroad, in violation of norms. These institutions had been remitting the fees including admission and exams collected from the students to KSOU.

However, according to the audit report, there is no mention of Rs. 50 crore remitted by these institutions in the financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15.  Similarly there are no relevant documents to corroborate fees collected from the students from the year 2009-10 to 2012-13 as Rs. 250 crore has gone missing, as filed in the audit report.

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CCB Cops dig deep into the racket; two among the accused had greased the palms of a neta to get the job

Mysore/Mysuru: City Crime Branch (CCB) Police investigating into the question paper leak at Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru, have arrested six accused in the case.

All the accused are contract employees of the varsity and what acted as a spur for two among them, was to make fast buck to repay the loan they had taken to grease the palms of a politician who got them jobs.

A Second Division Assistant (SDA) and ‘D’ Group worker at KSOU Regional Centre, Chamarajanagar, two each from the Regional Centres in Mysuru and Mangaluru are those six arrested in the case.

It had emerged during the course of investigation that, ‘Computer in Business’ question paper of B.Com final year exam was first leaked in PDF format from KSOU Regional Centre, Chamarajanagar, which was received by two others in Mangaluru Regional Centre, who later shared the copies on WhatsApp with the co-accused in Mysuru Regional Centre.

The two among the accused had given lakhs of rupees to a politician to get the job at KSOU. They had raised loan for the purpose and took to irregularities only to make a windfall to clear the loan, according to a source.

The said accused who have narrated their ordeal before the investigators have also spilled the beans about the money paid to whosoever persons, how the person placed the demand and how they arranged the money and many other startling details.

 Though at the outset, only temporary staffers are the accused, the City Crime Branch  sleuths are digging into the role of permanent employees and Officers of the Varsity if any, in the question paper leak, which has put KSOU in news again for wrong reasons.

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Mysore/Mysuru: City Crime Branch (CCB) Police investigating into the question paper leak at Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru, have taken two temporary employees of the Varsity’s Regional Centre in Chamarajanagar into their custody.

The CCB sleuths, who have taken up the probe after B.Com final year’s ‘Computer in Business’ subject was leaked, traced the source to KSOU Regional Centre, Chamarajanagar headed by Mahadev as its Director.

When the investigation team including CCB Inspector, Sub-Inspector and others visited the Chamarajanagar Centre, it primarily came to be known that, the said two employees had sold the question paper two days before the exam date and got the money transferred to another person’s account on cell phone through online payment. The question paper was first shared on WhatsApp to the students in Mangaluru.

After confirming their role by verifying call detail records (CDR), the investigators took the two staff into their custody and subjected them to inquiry.

On the other hand, the investigators have intensified the probe into how the suspects got access to question paper bundle and the key of the boxes containing question paper bundles and the involvement of others, if any, in the case.

The investigators are also probing into several other angles like how the suspects could execute their plans without any fear, hoodwinking the Director of Regional Centre, who holds full responsibility of the Centre? Had the Registrar (Evaluation) erred in maintaining secrecy during the supply of question papers to exam centre?

It may be mentioned that, as the racket surfaced, Jayalakshmipuram Police had arrested two students on suspicion for selling copies of question paper on the day of exam itself, at the Exam Centre in Vigyan Bhavan. As the racket appeared to be the size of a scam, the case was later handed over to CCB.

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Mysore/Mysuru: Following the bandh calls given by various organisations over Cauvery dispute, Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru, has postponed the exams of Under Graduate (UG) and Post Graduate (PG) courses scheduled today (Sept. 26) and Friday (Sept. 29).

Hence, the third year BA exam, second year BA and B.Com exams and first year BA and B.Com exams will be held on Oct. 11, 12 and 13 between  9 am and 12 noon and from 2 pm to 5 pm. Similarly, first year MA and M.Com exams have been postponed to Oct. 11 and 12, from 9 am to 12 noon and from 2 pm to 5 pm.

For details log on to https:// ksoumysuru.ac.in, according to the Registrar (Evaluation), KSOU.

While several organisations have called for Bengaluru Bandh today, several others have called for Karnataka bandh on Friday.

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