State Open University Act, 1992 Chapter II - Bare Act

Act Info:

(1) There shall be established a University by the name of the "the Karnataka State Open University".

(2) The head-quarters of the University shall be at such place as may be specified by the Government by notification and it may establish, maintain or recognise colleges, Regional Centres and study centres at such places in Karnataka and may also open centres outside Karnataka at such places as it deems fit.

(3) The first Chancellor, the first Registrar and the first members of the Board of Management, the Academic Council and all persons who may hereafter become such officers or members, so long as they continue to hold such offices or membership are hereby constituted a body corporate by the name of the Karnataka State Open University.

(4) The University shall have perpetual succession and a common seal and shall sue and be sued by the said name.

(5) The University shall be competent to acquire and hold property, both movable and immovable to lease, sell or otherwise transfer any movable or immovable property which may have become vested in or been acquired by it, for the purposes of the University and to contract and to do all other things necessary for the purposes of this Act.

(6) In all suits and other legal proceedings by or against the University, the pleadings shall be signed and verified by and all processes in such suit and proceedings shall be issued to and be served on the Registrar.

The objects of the University shall be to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge by a diversity of means, including the use of any communication technology, to provide opportunities for higher education to a larger segment of the population and to promote the educational well being of the community generally, to encourage Open University distance education system in the educational pattern of the State and to co-ordinate and determine the standards in such systems, and the University shall in organising its activities, have due regard to the objects specified in the First Schedule.

(1) The University shall have the following powers namely :-

(i) to provide for admission and for instruction in such branches of knowledge including technology, vocations and professions as the University may determine from time to time and to make provision for research;

(ii) to plan and prescribe courses of study for degrees, diplomas, certificates and for research or any other purpose;

(iii) to hold examinations and confer degrees, diplomas, certificates or other academic distinctions or recognitions including Ph.D on persons who have pursued a course of study or conducted research in the manner laid down by the statutes and Ordinances ;

(iv) to confer honorary degrees or other distinctions in the manner laid down by the Statutes;

(v) to determine the manner in which distance education in relation to the academic programmes of the University may be organised;

(vi) to institute professorships, readerships, lectureships and other academic positions necessary for imparting instruction or for preparing educational material or for conducting other academic activities, including guidance, designing and delivery of course and evaluation of the work done by the students and to appoint persons to such professorships, readerships, lectureships and other academic positions;

(vii) to co-operate with and seek the co-operation of other universities and institutions of higher learning professional bodies and organisations for such purposes as the University considers necessary;

(viii) to institute and award fellowships, scholarships, prizes and such other awards for recognition of merit as the University may deem fit ;

(ix) to establish and maintain such Regional Centres as may be determined by the University from time to time;

(x) to establish, maintain and recognise Study Centres in the manner laid down by the statutes;

(xi) to provide for the preparation of instructional materials using multimedia educational kits and other software;

(xii) to organise and conduct refresher course, work-shops, seminars and other programmes for teachers, lesson writers, evaluators and other academic staff;

(xiii) to organise examinations of or periods of study (whether in full or part) at, other universities, institutions or other places of higher learning as equivalent to examinations or periods of study in the University, and to withdraw such recognition at any time.

(xiv) to make provision for research and development in educational technology and related matters;

(xv) to create administrative, ministerial and other necessary posts and to make appointments thereto;

(xvi) to receive benefactions, donations and gifts and acquire, hold, maintain and dispose of any property, movable or immovable, including trust and Government property, for the purposes of the University;

(xvii) to borrow, with the approval of the State Government, whether on the security of the property of the University or otherwise, money for the purposes of the University;

(xviii) to enter into, carry out, vary or cancel contracts;

(xix) to demand and receive such fees and other charges as may be laid down by the Ordinances;

(xx) to provide control and maintain discipline among the students and all categories of employees and to lay down the conditions of service of such employees including their codes of conduct ;

(xxi) to recognise any institution of higher learning or studies for such purposes as the University may determine and to withdraw such recognition;

(xxii) to appoint, either on contract or otherwise, visiting professors, emeritus professors, consultants, fellows, scholars, artists, course writers and such other persons who may contribute to the advancement of the objects of the University;

(xxiii) to recognize persons working in other universities, institutions or organisations as teachers of the University on such terms and conditions as may be laid down by the ordinances;

(xxiv) to determine standards and to specify conditions of the admission of students to courses of study of the University which may include examination, evaluation and any other method of testing;

(xxv) to make arrangements for the promotion of the general health and welfare of the employees;

(xxvi) to confer autonomous status on a college or a Regional Centre in the manner laid down by the statutes;

(xxvii) to admit to its privileges any college in Karnataka subject to such conditions as may be laid down by the statues;

(xxviii) to do all such acts as may be necessary or incidental to the exercise of all or any of the powers of the University as are necessary and conducive to the promotion of all or any of the objects of the University.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, but without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (1), it shall be the duty of the University to take all such steps as it may benefit for the promotion of open university and distance education systems and for the determination of standards of teaching, evaluation and research in such systems and for the purpose of performing this function the University shall have such powers, including the power to allocate and disburse grants to colleges, whether admitted to its privileges or not or to any other University or Institution of higher learning, as may be specified by the Statutes;

(1) The University shall be open to persons of either sex and of whatever race, creed, caste or class, and it shall not be lawful for the University to adopt or impose on any person any test whatsoever of religious belief or profession in order to entitle him to be appointed as a teacher of the University or to hold any other office therein or admitted as a student in the university or to graduate thereat or to enjoy or exercise any privilege thereof.

(2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall be deemed to prevent the University from making any special provision for the appointment or admission of women or of person belonging to the weaker section of the society and in particular of persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes.