UGC nod to Bangalore University’s distance education courses

BENGALURU: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has granted permission for Bangalore University (BU) to offer distance education courses for the current academic year. Following a recent meeting between BU and UGC, the latter approved the courses for 2018-19 academic year and for the next five years.

The university, however, is waiting for an official communication to issue admission notification.
"We have submitted the necessary documents and compliance reports to UGC. I myself gave a presentation before UGC authorities and they have given an oral approval. We are waiting for an official communication,"  B C Mylarappa, director (in-charge), distance education department, BU, said.

Meanwhile, the university has decided to offer MBA and B.Ed programmes through distance mode this year for which it has to get permission from the UGC again. The academic council meeting held on Wednesday passed a resolution in this regard. "So far B.Ed and MBA courses were not part of our distance education. We will submit a request to UGC seeking permission to offer the same from the current academic year itself," Mylarappa added. Along with this, BU will also offer postgraduate course in journalism, dance and drama.

Meanwhile, university sources said officials who went to meet UGC authorities had to "struggle" to meet the UGC chairman. The interface meeting of BU with UGC was fixed for September 18 in New Delhi. The team lead by Chancellor of Karnataka Central University N R Shetty also comprised BU V-C K R Venugopal, Registrar BK Ravi and Mylarappa.  When they expressed their interest in meeting UGC Chairman D P Singh, they were not allowed.

Following this, they got in touch with some senior RSS leaders and managed to meet the chairman. Sources added that, before giving the approval, UGC has got an undertaking from BU putting certain restrictions. BU officials, however, denied this.