KOLLAM: The logo of Sree Narayana Guru Open University has been frozen after it sparked controversy. The university registrar said the usage of the logo will be stopped and a decision will be taken after a detailed examination by the expert panel. An expert panel chaired by Director Adoor Gopalakrishnan, with Kerala Kalamandalam Vice-Chancellor Dr TK Narayanan, and Thiruvananthapuram Fine Arts College Principal Dr V Manoj as members will examine the logo. The public can contact the committee at samithy.sreenarayanaguruou@gmail.com.

The main complaint is that the logo does not have Gurudevan's sketch. The university was of the view that the Guru's ideas were in three-dimensional geometric shapes and did not require Guru's image or imprinted form in the logo. VC Dr PM Mubarak Pasha was of the stand that he would not withdraw the logo. For a week, several protests took place at the university headquarters against the logo. Prominent leaders including NK Premachandran MP, Kollam DCC President Bindukrishna, BJP Kollam District President BB Gopakumar and many organizations came out against the logo. It was alleged that the logo was similar to the logo of a foreign financial institution and that no university in Kerala had adopted the geometric logo. From the very beginning, the government-initiated university has been involved in controversies and it is widely criticized that this is an insult to Gurudevan.