University

LMS seminary moves to Nagercoil

Charles Mead shifted the London Missionary Society's seminary from Mylaudy to Nagercoil, where it grew into Scott Christian College.

Madras Preparatory School, forerunner of Presidency College

A government preparatory school opened in Madras in 1840; it grew into the High School and eventually Presidency College.

Jesuits found St. Joseph's College at Nagapattinam

French Jesuits opened a college at Nagapattinam that later moved to Tiruchirappalli as St. Joseph's College.

Wood's Despatch on education

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

Provincial School opens at Kumbakonam

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

University of Madras founded

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

University of Madras holds its first B.A. examination

The University of Madras, founded in 1857, conducted its first Bachelor of Arts examination; C. W. Damodaram Pillai was among its first candidates.

Agricultural school opens at Saidapet

An agricultural school was started at Saidapet, Madras, the institution that later became the agricultural college at Coimbatore.

Presidency College moves to its Marina building

Presidency College, Madras moved into its new building opposite Marina Beach, on today's Kamaraj Salai.

Senate House of the University of Madras completed

Built from 1874 to 1879 to a design by Robert Chisholm, the Senate House on the Marina was an early Indo-Saracenic landmark.

American College established in Madurai

American missionaries raised their Madurai mission school to a collegiate department in 1881, creating the American College.

St. Joseph's College moves from Nagapattinam to Tiruchirappalli

St. Joseph's College, a Jesuit institution established at Nagapattinam in 1844, relocated to Tiruchirappalli.

Madras Veterinary College established

Housed at first in a modest building called Doblin Hall, the Madras Veterinary College opened its doors on 1 October 1903.

Madras Agricultural College moves to Coimbatore

The Saidapet agricultural school moved to Coimbatore in 1906, and the Agricultural College and Research Institute opened there in 1909.

Ramanujan writes to G. H. Hardy

Srinivasa Ramanujan, a clerk at the Madras Port Trust, began corresponding with G. H. Hardy, who arranged for him to travel to Cambridge in 1914.

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.

Madras College for Women (Queen Mary's College) founded

In 1914 Dorothy de la Hey opened the Madras College for Women on the Marina, the first women's college in the city, which took the name Queen Mary's in 1917.

Madras University Act

A fresh Madras University Act enlarged the University of Madras's governing bodies and gave them a more representative character.

Loyola College founded in Madras

Loyola College in Madras, affiliated to the University of Madras, was established by the French Jesuit Francis Bertram.

Andhra University established by Madras Act

After a bill carried with Tamil votes, the Madras legislature set up Andhra University for the Presidency's Telugu districts.

Annamalai University founded

Annamalai University was established at Chidambaram through the endowment of Annamalai Chettiar as a residential university.

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.

Madras Christian College moves to Tambaram

After a century in the city centre, Madras Christian College moved to a large new campus at Tambaram.

Alagappa College of Technology founded

Funded by Alagappa Chettiar, the University of Madras set up the Alagappa College of Technology for courses such as chemical engineering.

PSG College of Technology founded in Coimbatore

PSG and Sons Charities started an engineering college at Peelamedu, Coimbatore, on the campus of its 1926 industrial institute.

Gandhigram Rural Institute founded near Dindigul

Following Gandhian ideas of education, G. Ramachandran and T. S. Soundaram established the Gandhigram Rural Institute.

Indian Institute of Technology Madras founded

Classes started at IIT Madras in Guindy, the third IIT, which was set up with West German help.

Regional Engineering College founded at Tiruchirappalli

The Regional Engineering College at Tiruchirappalli, now NIT Tiruchirappalli, was established jointly by the Union and state governments.

Madurai University founded

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

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University established

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University came into existence with its headquarters in Coimbatore.

Anna University established

Anna University was established in Madras as a technical university, named after former Chief Minister C. N. Annadurai.

Tamil University founded at Thanjavur

The Tamil University was established in Thanjavur as a research university devoted to the Tamil language and culture.

Bharathidasan University established in Tiruchirappalli

The state government established Bharathidasan University at Tiruchirappalli, named after the Tamil poet Bharathidasan.

Bharathiar University established in Coimbatore

Bharathiar University, named after the poet Subramania Bharati, was established as a state university in Coimbatore.

Mother Teresa Women's University founded at Kodaikanal

The Tamil Nadu government established Mother Teresa Women's University at Kodaikanal, a state university dedicated to women's education.

Vellore Engineering College founded, later VIT

G. Viswanathan founded Vellore Engineering College as a self-financing institution; it grew into the Vellore Institute of Technology.

Tamil Nadu Medical University created

Presidential assent was given to the Tamil Nadu Medical University Act; the university opened in Madras in 1988 and later took MGR's name.

Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University founded

A separate university for veterinary and animal sciences, TANUVAS, was established at Madhavaram Milk Colony in Madras.

SPIC Science Foundation founds the school that became Chennai Mathematical Institute

The SPIC Science Foundation founded a School of Mathematics in Madras, which grew into the Chennai Mathematical Institute.

Manonmaniam Sundaranar University founded at Tirunelveli

A state university for the southern districts, named after the Tamil scholar Manonmaniam Sundaranar, was established at Tirunelveli.

Periyar University established at Salem

Periyar University, named after E. V. Ramasamy, was established at Salem on his birth anniversary.

Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University inaugurated

Chennai saw the inauguration of a state law university named for B. R. Ambedkar, created by a 1996 Act to place every law college under a single body.

Tamil Virtual University established

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

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.

Professional course admissions law and end of entrance tests

With common entrance tests abolished, a 2006 law reorganised professional course admissions and brought reservation to private colleges.

Fee support for first-generation graduates

The state announced a scholarship to pay tuition and other fees of first graduates in a family who join professional courses.

Tamil Pudhalvan scheme for college boys

Stalin launched Rs. 1,000 a month for boys from government schools who go on to higher education, modelled on Pudhumai Penn.

Anna University campus sexual assault case

A student was sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus; the sole accused was convicted and sentenced to life in 2025.

Supreme Court rules against Governor's withholding of bills

The Supreme Court held that Governor R. N. Ravi acted illegally in withholding assent to ten re-passed bills and set timelines for Governors.

Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil free laptops for college students

Stalin launched a scheme to distribute 20 lakh laptops to students of government colleges, with 10 lakh in the first phase.