Bangalore varsity to reach out to her

It’s not often that officials from Bangalore University’s distance education department visit Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru. They are, however, planning to do so later this week after learning that former AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala has expressed interest in learning Kannada. They are hoping to convince her to enrol in the varsity’s programme.

“The jail authorities had conveyed to me that Ms. Sasikala was interested in learning Kannada. I will visit the jail later this week, give her details about the course we offer, and ask her to fill the application form,” said Director of the Distance Education Department B.C. Mylarappa.

He said the jail authorities had mentioned that she had picked up reading and writing Kannada.

According to the BU’s distance education department, 257 candidates who had applied for various graduate, postgraduate and certificate courses for the 2018-19 academic year are inmates from the Central Jail. The department will conduct contact classes in prison and will set up examination centre on the premises. All the study materials will be supplied by BU soon after the registration process is complete.

Ms. Sasikala is serving a four-year sentence in jail after having been convicted in the disproportionate assets case. Jail authorities were not available for comment on whether she would enrol for the programme.