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.