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{{short description|University in Kerala, India}}
{{Confusing|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox university
| name = Sreenarayanaguru Open University
| image_name = Sree narayana guru open university kollam (cropped).jpg
| logo =
| motto =
| established = {{start date and age|2 October 2020}}
| chancellor = [[Governor of Kerala]]
| vice_chancellor = Jagathy Raj V. P
| address = University Building, [[Kureepuzha]]
| city = [[Kollam]]
| state = [[Kerala]]
| postalcode = 691601
| country = [[India]]
| coordinates = {{coord|8.9212467|76.5680963|type:university_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| head_label = [[Pro Chancellor]]
| head = [[R. Bindu]], <br/>Minister for Higher Education, [[Government of Kerala]]
| students = 50,000
| type = [[Open university]]
| campus = Urban
| affiliations = [[University Grants Commission (India)|UGC]]
| website = {{url|https://sgou.ac.in/}}
| footnotes =
}}

'''Sreenarayanaguru Open University''' ('''SGOU''') is a [[State university (India)|state]] [[open university]] located in [[Kollam]], [[Kerala]], established in 2020 by The Sreenarayanaguru Open University Act, 2021 (Kerala Act No 1 of 2021). The first open university in Kerala, it was approved by the [[University Grants Commission (India)|University Grants Commission]] (UGC) in 2021.

The establishment of the university aimed to unify all the [[distance education]] courses offered by various state-run universities, such as the [[Kannur University]], [[Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala|Mahatma Gandhi University]], [[University of Calicut]], and [[University of Kerala]], into a single university. However, University of Calicut and University of Kerala continues to provide distance education for programmes that are not provided by SGOU.

==History==
The university was established by the promulgation of an 45th Ordinance of 2020 to that effect by [[Governor of Kerala]] on 25 September 2020<ref>{{cite web |title=KERALA GAZETTE Extraordinary |url=http://www.highereducation.kerala.gov.in/images/stories/2020/eogfiledownload.pdf |website=Higher Education Department, Government of Kerala |publisher=Government of Kerala |access-date=2 October 2020}}</ref> and was inaugurated by [[Pinarayi Vijayan]], [[chief minister of Kerala]], on [[Gandhi Jayanti|2 October 2020]] in a function held at [[Kollam]]. The university has been named after [[Narayana Guru]] and has its headquarters at [[Kureepuzha]] in [[Kollam]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Sree Narayanaguru Open University inaugurated |url=https://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/node/97224 |website=Information and Public Relations Department |publisher=Govt of Kerala |access-date=3 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff Reporter |title=Open varsity will make higher education accessible to all: CM |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/open-varsity-will-make-higher-education-accessible-to-all-cm/article32764588.ece |access-date=5 October 2020 |work=The Hindu |date=4 October 2020}}</ref> P M Mubarak Pasha was appointed as the first vice-chancellor and S V Sudheer as the first pro-vice-chancellor of the university.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff Reporter |title=Mubarak Pasha to be first VC of open varsity |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/mubarak-pasha-to-be-first-vc-of-open-varsity/article32799494.ece |access-date=9 October 2020 |work=The Hindu |date=8 October 2020}}</ref> The university was approved by the [[University Grants Commission (India)|University Grants Commission]] (UGC) in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sree Narayana Guru Open University gets UGC recognition |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/education/news/news-updates/sree-narayana-guru-open-university-gets-ugc-recognition-kerala-1.5416498 |access-date=9 February 2021 |publisher=Mathrubhumi |date=6 February 2021}}</ref>

In November 2022, the [[Kerala government]] amended the Act to permit state public universities to offer open and distance learning programmes not provided by the SGOU.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vidyadharan |first1=Sovi |title=Nine distance courses of Calicut University under cloud |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/kerala/2023/Aug/26/nine-distance-courses-of-calicut-university-under-cloud-2608861.html |access-date=31 July 2024 |work=The New Indian Express |date=26 August 2023 |language=en}}</ref> This amendment followed a 2022 interim order from the [[Kerala High Court]], which had prohibited the [[University of Calicut]] and the [[University of Kerala]] from offering programs already available through SGOU. After the order, these universities began offering non-overlapping programmes. In 2023, the Kerala High Court reaffirmed its initial order.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vidyadharan |first1=Sovi |title=SNGOU hopeful of getting UGC nod for 10 more programmes |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2023/Jan/17/sngou-hopeful-of-getting-ugc-nod-for-10-more-programmes-2538401.html |access-date=31 July 2024 |work=The New Indian Express |date=17 January 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

===New headquarters===
The Finance department of the [[Pinarayi Vijayan]] lead [[Second Vijayan ministry|LDF Government]] sanctioned {{INRConvert|26.02|c|year=2025|to=USD}} to acquire 8.06665 acres of land in [[Mundakkal]], [[Kollam]] city on 3 January 2025.<ref>{{cite news |title=Funds sanctioned for SGOU headquarters |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/funds-sanctioned-for-sgou-headquarters/article69058150.ece |access-date=31 March 2025 |work=The Hindu |date=3 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref> The registration of the land completed on 29 March 2025. Steps have also been taken to provide the university with 9.5 acres of government land adjacent to this. [[National Institute of Technology Calicut|NIT Calicut]] will prepare a master plan for the construction of an area of 60,000 sqft (3 buildings of 20,000 sqft) in the first phase.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sreenarayanaguru Open University acquires 8.06 acres of land for headquarters in Kollam |url=https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/india/sreenarayanaguru-open-university-acquires-8-06-acres-of-land-for-headquarters-in-kollam/ar-AA1BXWok |access-date=31 March 2025 |work=MSN |date=31 March 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sreenarayanaguru Open University acquires 8.06 acres of land for headquarters in Kollam |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2025/Mar/31/sreenarayanaguru-open-university-acquires-806-acres-of-land-for-headquarters-in-kollam |access-date=31 March 2025 |work=TNIE |date=30 March 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

The government envisions the following facilities at the university headquarters upon completion:

* Academic Block Training Center
* Virtual Studio Production Unit
* Campus Library
* Academic School and Research Centers
* Sree Narayana Guru Renaissance Museum
* Sports and Entertainment Facilities
* Botanical garden
* Auditorium and Theater
* Residential Complexes for faculties and Staffs
* Students Hospital
* Recreation Center
* Canteen
* Visitor Gallery
* Rest House

==Schools of study==
The university shall have the following schools of study:

#School of Humanities and Social Sciences
#School of Sciences
#School of Languages
#School of Law, Business Studies and Development Studies
#School of Communications and Information Sciences
#School of Interdisciplinary, Multi disciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies
#School of Vocational Education and Training

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Kollam}}
{{Open Education in India}}
{{Universities in Kerala}}
{{Education in Kerala}}
{{Narayana Guru}}

[[Category:Public universities]]
[[Category:Universities in Kerala]]
[[Category:Lists of universities and colleges in Kerala|Kerala]]
[[Category:Open universities in India]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 2020]]
[[Category:2020 establishments in India]]

Sreenarayanaguru Open University - Revision history

DoreenDiggs540 at 01:50, 13 August 2025