K’taka postpones univ event on RSS ideologue

Mysuru: Karnataka state higher education department Monday directed Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) to postpone an international conference organised to mark 60 years of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's lectures on Ekatma Manav Darshan (integral humanism).The conference, organised by KSOU along with RSS-affiliated Prajna Pravah and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, was scheduled to be held at the varsity's campus in Mysuru on March 25 and 26.The govt issued notice to KSOU vice-chancellor Sharanappa V Halse seeking reply within 24 hours over organising an event in violation of protocols and provisions of KSOU Act 1992.The govt said organising such events was not appropriate, especially since KSOU's revenue was falling. A show-cause notice charged the V-C with bringing disrepute and disrespect to the government which does not do any good to his post.Sources claimed Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Organiser journal editor Prafulla Ketkar and BJP national general secretary BL Santosh, among others, were scheduled to attend the event.Congress MLC Ramesh Babu raised the issue during the zero hour in the legislative council which led to the action against the V-C.Both the V-C and the registrar, Naveen Kumar SK, didn't receive TOI's calls for comments.