Tamil Nadu Open University, Chennai

Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) is an Indian institution for open and distance learning established by the Government of Tamil Nadu. It was founded in 2002 through the Tamil Nadu Open University Act, 2002 (Act 27 of 2002), aiming to provide access to higher education for those previously unable to pursue it. The university opened in 2003 and was recognized by the University Grants Commission in September 2015. It is one of five universities approved to offer distance learning outside its state of establishment. As of January 2016, it was one of 14 state open universities in India, alongside the national Indira Gandhi National Open University. As of April 2017, it was one of 111 distance learning institutions in the country. By December 2017, TNOU offered 113 programmes ranging from certificate to postgraduate levels, through 13 academic schools, five support divisions, a media centre, and more than 600 learner support centres across Tamil Nadu. Students are admitted under two cycles—calendar year and academic year—and include people from remote areas, working individuals, handicapped students, housewives, retirees, and prisoners.