Tamil Nadu Timeline

LanguageDMK-AIADMK alternation

Tamil Virtual University established

· Chennai

To provide internet-based Tamil learning around the world, the Tamil Nadu government created the Tamil Virtual University, now the Tamil Virtual Academy.

On 17 February 2001 the Government of Tamil Nadu registered the Tamil Virtual University as a society. M. Karunanidhi had announced the idea when the Second Tamil Internet Conference closed in 1999. Through the internet it offers courses and resources on Tamil language, literature, history and culture, aimed in particular at the Tamil diaspora. Its name was afterwards changed to the Tamil Virtual Academy.

Related events

  1. 1816

    1. 1816ChennaiLanguage

      Ellis publishes the Dravidian Proof

      Francis Whyte Ellis argued that the South Indian languages form a family separate from Sanskrit.

  2. 1913

    1. Jan 1913 to 1939ChennaiLanguage

      Work begins on the University of Madras Tamil Lexicon

      In January 1913 the University of Madras began work on the Tamil Lexicon, the most comprehensive Tamil dictionary, published in 1924-1939.

  3. 1936

    1. 1936ChennaiLanguage

      University of Madras completes the Tamil Lexicon

      The final volume of the University of Madras Tamil Lexicon was published, completing the largest Tamil dictionary of its time.

  4. 2002

    1. 2002ChennaiEducation

      Tamil Nadu Open University established

      Through the Tamil Nadu Open University Act, 2002, the state set up an open university in Chennai offering distance higher education.

  5. 2004

    1. Oct 2004ChennaiLanguage

      Tamil declared a classical language

      The Government of India declared Tamil the first classical language of India.

  6. 2008

    1. May 2008ChennaiLanguage

      Central Institute of Classical Tamil moves to Chennai

      The Union government's Centre of Excellence for Classical Tamil moved from Mysore to Chennai and became the Central Institute of Classical Tamil.

Open in the timeline explorer