MYSORE: Higher Education Minister D.H. Shankaramurthy's reported appearance in a television advertisement promoting distance education programmes offered by Bangalore University came under criticism from Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University J. Shashidhar Prasad.

Participating in a Meet-the-Press programme organised by Mysore District Journalists' Association (MDJA) in Mysore on Sunday, Prof. Prasad sought to remind Mr. Shankaramurthy that he was a pro-chancellor of all the universities in the State and it was improper on his part to appear in an advertisement promoting programmes of one particular university.

Prof. Prasad said many other universities in the State were also offering distance education programmes. Even Mysore University was starting distance education programmes, he added.

Governor's approval

Though Mysore University's distance education programme should have started from the ensuing academic year, Governor T.N. Chaturvedi had withheld his approval for the programme in the wake of objections from Karnataka State Open University (KSOU). But, the Governor has approved the distance education programmes of Mysore University from the next academic year.

The Governor's approval for the distance education programme of Mysore University came after an amendment to the Inter Universities Act of Karnataka. Though the Mysore University had invited applications for various courses in distance education, the university was unable to go ahead with the courses owing to impediments, though there was a huge response.

Prof. Prasad said the UGC would be releasing more grants to Mysore University after the institution secured an A + grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

Prof. Prasad said the Mysore University was also subjecting itself to a second audit, which would be carried out by a team headed by Gnanam, a former Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry, Kamaraj and Anna Universities.

Prof. Prasad did not find anything wrong in the State Government's recent move to stop grants to aided colleges, which had secured low grades from the NAAC.

Prof. Prasad said the private college teachers' association, which had taken objection to the Government's move, was not justified in picking holes in the NAAC's methodology. He said the aided colleges should improve their academic and administrative performance instead of finding fault with NAAC's methodology.

Members of the recently constituted Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Rangappa, Mewa Singh and Sri Jayadevaraj Urs, were present.

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