Education, Careers & Professional News
Mysore, Kuvempu varsities decision riles Chaturvedi
Source
THE HINDU
Date
2005-08-01
Information
Taking serious exception to the University of Mysore and Kuvempu University notifying commencement of distance education courses, the Governor, T.N. Chaturvedi, has threatened to annul the notifications if they are not withdrawn immediately. With this direction, the fate of distance education courses in Mysore University and Kuvempu University hangs in the balance.
While the Governors office has directed all universities coming under the Karnataka Universities Act 2000 to concentrate on their main objects, it has cautioned them that the Governor will be constrained to exercise his authority under Section 10 of the Act and annul them if all the notifications announcing admission to such courses are not withdrawn immediately. The Governors office has directed the universities to send action taken reports in this regard by August 3.
Communication
In a communication to all the universities, the Governor, who is also the Chancellor, has referred to the University of Mysore selling admission forms for distance education courses, and Kuvempu University having gone ahead with adding B.Sc. (Information Technology) and M.Sc. (Information
Technology) courses in distance education. Further, the Governor has directed the universities coming under Karnataka State Universities Act 2000 to desist from introducing open university and distance education courses.
The letter said: It is reliably learnt that these directions of the Chancellor have not been followed by at least some universities. These are clear examples of wanton defiance of Chancellors direction, and have been viewed seriously.
Response good
Acknowledging receipt of a communication in this regard from the Governors office, sources in Mysore University told The Hindu that the response to its distance education courses has been good, and that the university will continue with the admission process. The sources said: Mysore University is hopeful of convincing the Governor to allow the commencement of distance education courses.
It is learnt that even during a recent meeting of university vice-chancellors convened by the Minister for Higher Education, the matter came up for discussion. However, the universities decided to go ahead with the admission process, and that the Minister has been informed about it.
The sources said that such a direction to the universities will not benefit higher education in Karnataka when universities from abroad and north India are opening distance education learning centres. The distance education system will be in an advantageous position if competition is allowed, the sources said.
Expertise
However, sources at Karnataka State Open University said that every university cannot have the expertise to start distance education as, at present, it involves the use of multiple media such as radio, telephone, Internet, tele-conferencing and audio-visual CDs, besides the traditional print medium. Fully equipped study centres become important channels of communication between the university and students. All these, the sources pointed out, are possible only with an exclusive university for distance learning.
In fact, Mysore University pioneered distance education learning with the establishment of the Institute of Correspondence Courses and Continuing Education (ICC&CE) in 1969, the year in which the United Kingdom Open University was also established.