Educational Quest: An Int. J. of Education and Applied Social Sciences: Vol. 13, No. 02, pp. 145-150, August 2022 DOI: 10.30954/2230-7311.2.2022.8 Peer Reviewed Journal How to cite this article: Chalil, K. (2022). Is the Sree Narayana Guru Open University of Kerala Ready for Take Off?. Educational Quest: An Int. J. Edu. Appl. Soc. Sci., 13(02): 145-150. Source of Support: None; Confict of Interest: None Is the Sree Narayana Guru Open University of Kerala Ready for Take Of? Krishnan Chalil Dean, School of Social Sciences and Policy, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India Corresponding author: drckcalicut@gmail.com Received: 14-05-2022 Revised: 29-07-2022 Accepted: 06-08-2022 ABSTRACT Open and distance education has been accepted as an efective and credible mode of education since the middle of the 20 th century. As a follow up of this, many institutions and states have come forward in ofering distance education through single mode and dual mode university structures. This has resulted in increased enrolment at afordable cost and easiness to access. The people in the remote areas, employed people and the people on the margins used the system efectively to realise their educational dreams. In Kerala, the demand for higher education is on the rise and this demand could not be met through conventional brick and mortar system. This realisation has led to the establishment of a state open university, ‘Sree Narayana Guru Open University’ in 2020. The university is in its embryo stage. Still, the university has to expedite the process for ofering courses and appointment of workforce and other infrastructure requirements. The current structural defciencies are to be broken through pragmatic actions and practices. The university has to follow best practices in distance education especially with regard to; (a) design and development of courses, (b) student support services, (c) management and fnancing of institution and (d) integration of technology. Keywords: SNGOU, Distance education, SIM, open university, Student support services Kerala, a South Indian State, has always been in the academic discussion in the light of her high literacy and social development without achieving economic development. It is this ‘Kerala Model’ which gives way to several initiatives in the past several years in various sectors of the state economy. In the sphere of education, the state has evolved novel measures to improve the quality as well as quantity of education. It has resulted in the growth of colleges, universities, autonomous colleges, deemed universities etc. However, the demand for a state open university in Kerala has not materialised until 2020, the year in which the state government announced the opening of the state open university under the name, “Sree Narayana Guru Open University (SNGOU). The SNGOU was established by the promulgation of an Ordinance to that efect by the Hon. Governor of Kerala on 25 September 2020 and it was formally inaugurated by the State Chief Minister on 2 nd October 2020. Though more than one and half years are over afer its formal announcement, the university has not been able to take of by ofering any programme of studies. It is in this context that this paper looks into the structural constraints that the university faces in its formal operation. Objectives of the study This articles looks at the need for an open university in Kerala in the light of the existing institutional set up for higher education. Specifcally, the paper looks into the status of the higher educational institutions in the state and the structural constraints which the