Freezing of KSOU’s bank accounts: V-C to consult Governor over next course of action

Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) Vice-Chancellor Sharanappa V. Halase said he will consult Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot over the next course of action with regard to the government’s decision to freeze the university’s bank accounts.

The Congress government, which was against KSOU “hosting” the three-day conference on Hindutva ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya titled ‘Ekatma Manav Darshan - Bharat’s Worldview’ on its premises, had written to the banks to freeze the university’s accounts.

The university will find it difficult to pay its employees' salaries and run day-to-day affairs when its bank accounts are frozen, said Prof. Halase. “I will discuss the matter with the Governor and decide on the next course of action,” he said.

Prof. Halase, who had clarified to the Department of Higher Education that the conference was a “private programme” and KSOU’s role was limited to providing the venue on rent, attended the special plenary session of the conference on Thursday after welcoming the gathering during the inaugural session on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan addressed a plenary session on “Beyond the Western Paradigm: Shaping the Future of Higher Education through Bharat’s Worldview” along with M.S. Chaitra, director of IKSHA and national research co-ordinator of Prajna Pravah.

Before addressing the plenary session, Mr. Pradhan held an interaction with the academicians attending the conference at KSOU.

He said the conference has brought together academic leaders to deliberate on the “future trajectory” of higher education in India with a focus on strengthening institutional frameworks and academic collaboration.

In a post on X, Mr. Pradhan said the deliberations focused on advancing higher education through effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. “NEP 2020 emphasises innovation, quality, and accessibility. The discussions highlighted the importance of integrating Indian Knowledge Systems into academia while strengthening India’s expanding global education footprint including establishing Indian campuses abroad,” he said.