THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the Kerala government has announced that the state's first Open University named after Sree Narayana Guru will be set up on Gandhi Jayanthi, active efforts are being made to sabotage the project.

The Chief Minister had announced that the distance learning and private courses in Kerala, Calicut, MG and Kannur universities will be completely shut down and teachers and other employees will be transferred to the Sree Narayana Guru Open University. However, with the UGC recently revising its regulations, both Kerala and Calicut universities have reportedly demanded not to shut down the distance learning courses. It is learnt that both varsities have approached the Higher Education department regarding this. This move seems to be aimed at pulling down the relevance of the Sree Narayana Guru university.

According to sources close to the government, those who are reluctant to get transferred to the new university are behind the move to sabotage the open university.

As per earlier regulations of the UGC, only those varsities that have a NAAC score of more than 3.25 were eligible to offer distance learning courses. With none of the universities in Kerala possessing a NAAC score of more than 3.25, they were granted a temporary permit to offer these courses. However, following the COVID pandemic, the UGC has allowed universities to offer ODL programmes if it has a minimum NAAC score of 3.01 or figures among the top 100 ranks in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). With this, Kerala (3.03), Calicut (3.13) and MG (3.24) universities have become eligible to offer these courses.

Meanwhile, the government has maintained that those students who are currently doing distance learning courses in these universities will be able to complete their courses. It also stated that the admission to the Open University will begin from this academic year onwards. Courses in science subjects will also be offered in the new university.