VTU, Open University scrap over engg education

BANGALORE: Just ahead of admission season, a turf war has broken out between Visvesvaraya Technological University (Belgaum) and Mysore-based Karnataka State Open University over who should offer engineering education in Karnataka -- and how. VTU has takenexception to this recent move by KSOU to offer engineering courses via distancemode. VTU, which has 187 engineering colleges under its ambit, feels the openuniversity is encroaching on its home turf, and the quality of engineeringeducation will be diluted if courses are offered by an openuniversity."Engineering is a professional course which needspractical training, and which cannot be obtained on distance education mode. Thequality of engineering education will be diluted by this. VTU came intoexistence in Karnataka, particularly for engineering/technical education. Ifother universities also offer engineering/technical courses, the very purpose ofthe university will have failed," VTU registrar S A Kori said in a letter to thehigher education department last month. The executive council, VTU's highestdecision-making body, too, took exception to KSOU's move to offer under-graduateand post-graduate engineering programmes in distance mode. The university hasnow sought the intervention of the state government, All India Council forTechnical University and University Grants Commission to resolve the dispute.KSOU, which has tied up with a number of partners to deliver theprogrammes in different states, is unmoved. "If the VTU Act is holy to VTU, KSOUAct is holy to us. Our Act allows us to offer engineering education in distancemode. The collaborative partners will be holding face-to-face classes andquality will not be diluted," K S Rangappa, KSOU V-C, said.Thehigher education department is likely to refer the matter to the Karnataka StateCouncil for Higher Education, a think-tank of vice-chancellors andeducationists, to find an amicable solution.