Tamil Nadu Timeline

Education Reform

8 events, 1826 to 2010; 2 marked as turning points.

  1. 1826

    1. 1826ChennaiEducation

      Board of Public Instruction set up in Madras

      The Madras government founded a Board of Public Instruction in 1826 to oversee education in the Presidency.

  2. 1842

    1. 1 Jan 1842ChennaiEducation

      Pachaiyappa's Central Institution opens

      Funded by the bequest of merchant Pachaiyappa Mudaliar, Pachaiyappa's Central Institution opened in Madras.

  3. 1854

    1. 1854LondonEducation

      Wood's Despatch on education

      Charles Wood's education despatch called for universities in the presidency towns and a graded school system across India.

    2. Oct 1854KumbakonamEducation

      Provincial School opens at Kumbakonam

      A government Provincial School opened at Kumbakonam, later the Government Arts College known as the Cambridge of South India.

  4. 1857

    1. 5 Sep 1857University of MadrasEducation

      University of Madras founded

      An act of the Legislative Council incorporated the University of Madras, among the first three modern universities in India.

  5. 1953

    1. 18 Jun 1953 to 18 May 1954ChennaiEducation

      Rajaji's Modified Scheme of Elementary Education

      Rajaji's two-shift school scheme, criticised as Kula Kalvi Thittam (hereditary education), triggered protests and was later dropped.

  6. 1966

    1. 1 Feb 1966Madurai Kamaraj UniversityEducation

      Madurai University founded

      Madurai University, renamed Madurai Kamaraj University in 1978, was established as the main university of southern Tamil Nadu.

  7. 2010

    1. 2010 to 9 Aug 2011ChennaiEducation

      Samacheer Kalvi: uniform school education

      Tamil Nadu introduced a common syllabus across state, matriculation and other school boards; the Supreme Court upheld it in 2011.