Kerala's long-pending dream of a varsity that exclusively offers open and distance learning courses, with pan-Kerala jurisdiction, will become a reality with the launch of the Open University named after spiritual leader Sree Narayana Guru on Friday.

The Ordinance on setting up the university had received the Governor's assent on September 23. With the Ordinance being promulgated, state universities, that were offering Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programmes will not be able to conduct fresh admission to such courses or offer courses in private mode from the current academic year.