Bengaluru: Around a 100 candidates, who passed the Karnataka Public Service Commission examination for the posts of 2,484 First Division Assistant (FDA) and Second Division Assistant (SDA) officers, are looking at a bleak future all because the KPSC refuses to recognise their degrees from the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU).
The candidates from KSOU’s 2012-13 and 2013-14 batches, who secured more than the cut -off marks, have been disqualified for the posts as the KPSC is not ready to recognise their degrees on the grounds that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has withdrawn its recognition for KSOU for violating its norms. “Although the state government and KSOU are trying to correct this situation and have written to the KPSC, it is not ready to consider us for appointment to these posts," protest the candidates, wondering why the commission did not raise any objection when they applied for the jobs or even when they wrote its examination. "I couldn’t do my degree from a regular college because I couldn’t afford the fee. So I did my BA and B.Ed from the KSOU. I also passed the FDA examination recently. But when verifying my documents, KPSC officials cancelled my results saying my degree from KSOU is not recognized by the UGC," complains an angry candidate.
Higher education department officials, who are being flooded with letters from the disappointed candidates, blame officers of the Open University for the mess. "The UGC withdrew recognition for KSOU owing to the corrupt decisions taken by a group of its officials. While they have either retired or moved on to other universities, the poor students are paying the price,” says an officer, adding that the KPSC is right in not accepting the degree certificates issued by a de- recognised university. KPSC sources also insist that KSOU degrees obtained by its 2012-13 and 2013-14 batches are not acceptable owing to UGC action.
