Kochi: Kerala High Court has stayed the provision in the Ordinance on the new Sree Narayana Guru Open University, by which students in the existing universities under open scheme will be transferred to the new varsity.
The High Court bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran sought the explanation of the state government and University Grants Commission (UGC) about the steps taken so far for obtaining the recognition of UGC. The bench posted case to be heard again on 16 October.
The court's interim order came in response to a petition by KR Ashok Kumar from Pathanamthitta and others in which the petitioners argued that the new university was formed without approval from the UGC. The provision in the ordinance is that students seeking distance and private registration should get registered now on only with the new university.
However, the petitioner who runs a parallel college, averred that this provision is being implemented without the concurrence of UGC. The students currently studying in parallel colleges with registration in other universities in the state do enjoy access to instruction as in regular colleges and under the same syllabus and examination system. But with the new mechanism, students will suffer discrimination and segregation.
The bench assessed that once the students are transferred to the new university and it subsequently fails to obtain UGC recognition, it will affect the future of the students.