Karnataka State Open University, Mysore

Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) is a distance learning university established in 1996 in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The university faced major controversy when the UGC de-recognized several of its courses starting in 2012-13, and later de-recognized the entire university in 2015 for violating UGC and DEC, IGNOU norms, particularly regarding territorial jurisdiction, by setting up study centers and admitting students across India and abroad without authorization. Despite a show cause notice, the university continued these practices, leading to thousands of affected students, protests, and legal petitions to the Karnataka High Court and Supreme Court. Following interventions by KSOU and the Karnataka government, and directions from the High Court, 17 courses were granted recognition starting in 2018. The UGC subsequently granted program-level recognition from 2018-19 to 2022-23 for degrees including B.A., B.Com., B.L.I.Sc., M.L.I.Sc., M.A., M.Com., and M.Sc. However, a 2022 UGC order clarified that recognition for the Open and Distance Learning programs had lapsed after 2012-13 until 2017-18, and was only valid from 2018-19 through January 2023, with degree issuance restricted to the recognized period and territorial jurisdiction. Many earlier students remain without degrees, though a bridge course and test have been proposed.