The Annamalai University (AU) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

state university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The sprawling campus offers courses of higher education in arts, science, engineering, management, humanities, agriculture, and physical education. With over 32,480 students residing on campus, it is one of the largest teaching, and residential universities in Asia, and is among the most reputed and ranked universities in India including the rankings from

NIRF National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is a ranking methodology released annually by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to rank institutions of higher education in India. The framework was approved by the former Ministry o ...

QS World University Rankings The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...

, Times University Rankings,

CWTS Leiden Ranking The CWTS Leiden Ranking is an annual global university ranking based exclusively on bibliometric indicators. The rankings are compiled by the Centre for Science and Technology Studies ( Dutch: ''Centrum voor Wetenschap en Technologische Studies' ...

, India Today Magazine, India Today MDRA, AISHE, ARIIA,

SCImago Institutions Rankings The SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR) since 2009 has published its international ranking of worldwide research institutions, the SIR World Report. The SIR World Report is the work of the SCImago Research Group,National Assessment and Accreditation Council The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a public autonomous body of the government of India that assesses and accredits higher education institutions (HEIs) in India. It is funded by the University Grants Commission and hea ...

has conferred accreditation to the university in the fourth cycle, and subsequently with its highest A+ grade in 2022. Annamalai University is also recognized among the top 18 universities in India having the 'Centre with Potential for Excellence in Particular Area (CPEPA)' with a focus on

drug development Drug development is the process of bringing a new pharmaceutical drug to the market once a lead compound has been identified through the process of drug discovery. It includes preclinical research on microorganisms and animals, filing for regu ...

and

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

.Established in 1929, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigious universities in India. The university was also ranked as 18th most influential institution in India and, It is also among the topmost google searched universities in India as well as in the World. Annamalai University is a member of the

Association of Indian Universities Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is an organisation and association of universities in India including central, state, institutes of National Importance and Deemed Universities. It is based in Delhi. It evaluates the courses, syllabi, s ...

(AIU) and

The Association of Commonwealth Universities The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is a charitable organization that was established in 1913, and has over 400 member institutions in over 40 countries across the Commonwealth.

(ACU). All the degrees awarded by Annamalai University senate are mutually recognized by all Indian Universities and Foreign Universities under the commonwealth fold. The Division of Continuing Education or Directorate of Distance Education of the university is also a permanent member of AMDISA (Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia) that provides the SAQS Accreditation (South Asian Quality System) to the Institutions.

Foundation and history

The university was founded in 1929 by the entrepreneur Rajah Sir S. Rm. M. Annamalai Chettiar in the aftermath of the

Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms The Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms or more concisely the Mont–Ford Reforms, were introduced by the colonial government to introduce self-governing institutions gradually in British India. The reforms take their name from Edwin Montagu, the Sec ...

. In the early 1920s, to serve the downtrodden and to promote Tamil literature, Rajah Sir S. R. M. Annamalai Chettiar founded Sri Minakshi College, Sri Minakshi Tamil College and Sri Minakshi Sanskrit College in a rural setup at Chidambaram. In 1928, Rajah Sir S. R. M. Annamalai Chettiar agreed with the local government to hand over the above said institution for establishing a university. Thus, on 1 January 1929 Annamalai University was established as per Annamalai University Act 1928 (Tamil Nadu Act 1 of 1929). The most significant development is the enactment of the Annamalai University Act, 2013 (Tamil Nadu Act 20 of 2013), which came into force from 25 September 2013, after obtaining the assent of the President of India. AU Chronicles

Faculties

The university has ten faculties, namely

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creativity, creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive ...

(including management studies),

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

and

technology Technology is the application of Conceptual model, conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word ''technology'' can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible too ...

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

, Indian languages,

marine sciences Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its Physical oceanography, physics, Chemical oceanography, chemistry, Biological oceanography, biology, a ...

, and science.

Organization and administration

Governance

The organizational structure of Annamalai University consists of the Senate, the Syndicate, the Academic Council, the faculties, the Finance Committee, and the Boards of studies. The

governor of Tamil Nadu The governor of Tamil Nadu is the head of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Governor (India), Governors in India have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the president of India at the central level. They exist in the Sta ...

is the chancellor of the university. The vice-chancellor is the executive head of the university. The registrar of the university, who is the secretary of the Syndicate, is the custodian of all the records and chief administrator of the university. The examinations of the university is managed by Office of the Controller of Examinations.

Schools and departments

Annamalai University is one of the largest unitary, teaching, and residential Universities in Southern Asia consisting of 10 faculties and 49 departments of study. This university has played a pivotal role in providing access to higher education to thousands of youths cutting across the social spectrum, especially from economically and socially disadvantaged classes. In this respect, this university's service to the Nation is tremendous. Annamalai University is organized into ten main schools, each of which comprises multiple departments and centres as below.

Faculty of Arts

English, History, Political Science and Public Administration, Economics, Commerce, Sociology and Social Work, Population Studies, Business Administration, Library and Information Science, Centre for Rural Development, Philosophy.

Faculty of Science

Department of Mathematics, Department of Statistics, Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, Department of Botany, Department of Zoology, Department of Earth Sciences, Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, Department of Microbiology, Department of Computer and Information Science.

Faculty of Marine Sciences

Centre of Advanced Study (CAS)

Faculty of Indian Languages

Department of Tamil Studies Research, Hindi, Sanskrit, Center of Advanced Studies in Linguistics.

Faculty of Engineering & Technology

Computer Science and Engineering (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning), Computer Science and Engineering (Data Science), Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Civil and Structural Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering (Manufacturing).

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Fine Arts

Nagaswaram, Thavil, Miruthangam, Flute, Bharathanaatiyam, Nattuvangam, Vocal, Thevaram

Faculty of Agriculture

Agronomy, Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Genetics and Plant Breeding, Microbiology, Plant Pathology, Entomology, Agricultural Economics, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Agricultural Extension.

Faculty of Medicine

Rajah Muthiah Medical College Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine, Community Medicine, Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Pediatrics, TB & Chest Disease, Dermatology Venereology and Leprosy, Orthopaedics, Otorhinolaryngology, Psychiatry, Radiology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Anaesthesiology, Neuro Surgery, Urology, Plastic Surgery, Nursing, Emergency Medicine.

Faculty of Dentistry

Periodontology, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Oral Medicine & Radiology, Public Health Dentistry, Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge, Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Microbiology, Anatomy, Pharmacology, Physiology, Biochemistry, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

Affiliated Colleges

In July 2021 Higher Education Minister of Tamil Nadu Mr K. Ponmudy announced to change the status of Annamalai University from unitary to affiliating university. The university have colleges affiliated to it from four districts, namely

Cuddalore Cuddalore, also spelt as Kadalur (), is a heavy industries hub and a port city, and headquarters of the Cuddalore District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Situated south of Chennai, Cuddalore was an important city and port during the Britis ...

Kallakurichi Kallakurichi is a Municipality in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Kallakurichi district in Tamil Nadu. As of 2019, the town had a population of 73528. Member of the L ...

Mayiladuthurai Mayiladuthurai (formerly known as Mayavaram or Mayuram) is a :ta:சிறப்பு நிலை நகராட்சிகள், Special Grade Municipality and district headquarters of Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu, India. The town ...

and

Villupuram Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram () is a municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district. Located south west of a Tiruvannamalai and north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major and largest railway ...

. In his recent announcement 14 more colleges of

district merged with Annamalai University which was earlier affiliated with

Bharathidasan University Bharathidasan University (BDU) is a university in the city of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India ...

Controversies

In March 2022, the UGC warned students against enrolling for any online and distance learning courses offered by the university as it did not have the requisite recognition to do so from the UGC. According to University Vice-Chancellor Mr. RM Kathiresan the degrees were offered as per the

Madras High Court The High Court of Judicature at Madras is a High Courts of India, High Court located in Chennai, India. It has appellate jurisdiction over the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry. It is one of ...

direction as the university is having a stay order to the UGC's direction imposing jurisdictional restriction is still valid. And all the hearings and proceedings were in the favour of our varsity. So Unless the UGC's gets that stay vacated the degree distance programmes are valid. He further added that a

National Assessment and Accreditation Council The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a public autonomous body of the government of India that assesses and accredits higher education institutions (HEIs) in India. It is funded by the University Grants Commission and hea ...

review team visited the campus between March 16 and 18. As the results are expected anytime, we will go for distance education board approval and get it done. The problem will be sorted out soon. Mr. R Singaravel, director of distance education at the university, said the students degree will not become invalid with the UGC notice. As we are the oldest and most prestigious university under

Government of Tamil Nadu The Government of Tamil Nadu () is the administrative body responsible for the governance of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislature and head of judiciary. Under the Const ...

and offering our programmes before the existence of UGC and IGNOU. UGC's circular that distance education courses at Annamalai University are not valid is incorrect. Contempt of court. The High Court issued a restraining order in our favor in 2018 in favor of the UGC Circular on the grounds that it was in our favor in relation to our university jurisdiction. The UGC reissued a similar circular while the injunction was in force. Subject to contempt of court. Students studying at our university actually have no legal issues. Their courses are legally valid. University officials also stated that Annamalai University Act 1929 was signed and approved by both the then governor general of the British government and the governor general of the central government. The Annamalai University Act 2013 was approved by both the governor and the president of the state. Therefore, the jurisdiction of the Annamalai University. The same applies to the whole of India as it does to the central universities. Other state university laws are not like that. One approved by the governors of the State, & Annamalai University remote drive is something that appeared long before the emergence of Delhi IGNOU University. Distance Education as DEC. Something that appeared even before the Council appeared and announced the protocols. In January 2023

protected and validated all the degrees and courses offered by the Annamalai University under Distance or Executive mode. The court in its order said that the operation of the notice was stayed earlier in 2016 and students were admitted legally and those students who have admitted and who have completed courses will not be affected by our order dismissing the writ petitions. As regards challenge to the circular restricting the education of students was stayed by the

and those students who have completed their course will be entitled to their respective degrees by the Senate of Annamalai University. The court clearly stated that the students who have been enrolled in programmes under the protection of Interim orders of this court will stand protected and their degrees will be valid.

Academics

Accreditation

The

accredited Annamalai University with a grade of "A+" in 2022. The Faculty of Agriculture of Annamalai University is accredited with ICAR (NAEAB).

Rankings

On 6 August 2022 Annamalai University was ranked 15th in India overall among government universities by the magazine ''India Today''. The university was ranked 27th in India by the

(National Institutional Ranking Framework) in the pharmacy and Agriculture ranking of 2024.

Division of Continuing Education

The Annamalai University Directorate of Distance Education or Division of Continuing Education was established in 1979 and offers more than 500 courses, including MBAs. All study programmes offered by the Senate of the university are approved by the Distance Education Council (UGC-DEB) & All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The B.Ed. programme is approved by the

National Council for Teacher Education National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) is a statutory body of Indian government set-up under the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 (#73, 1993) in 1995 to formally oversee standards, procedures and processes in the Indian ...

. Annamalai University opened its first international office in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Canada, in 2006, named Annamalai Canada. As it does not have degree-granting authority in the province of

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, it acts as a recruitment office for international students for programs and courses in Tamil language, literature, arts, yoga and dance. It offers bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. degrees awarded by Annamalai University's main campus. Annamalai University is India's first and oldest university to offer Distance Education Programmes after receiving the assent from the central government.

Scholarships and awards

A total of 356 scholarships and awards are given to eligible candidates every year.

Notable alumni

P. C. Alexander Padinjarethalakal Cherian Alexander (20 March 1921 – 10 August 2011) was an Indian Administrative Service officer of 1948 batch who served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 1988 to 1990 and as the Governor of Maharashtra from 1993 to 2002. H ...

Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the Public administration, administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. The IAS is one of the three All India Services along with the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian ...

officer, former

Governor of Tamil Nadu The governor of Tamil Nadu is the head of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Governor (India), Governors in India have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the president of India at the central level. They exist in the Sta ...

and

Governor of Maharashtra The governor of Maharashtra is the ceremonial head of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The Constitution of India confers the executive powers of the state to the governor; however, the de facto executive powers lie with the Council of Minister ...

K. Anbazhagan Kalyanasundaram Anbazhagan (19 December 1922 – 7 March 2020) was an Indian politician. He was a long-standing leader of the Dravidian movement and was the General Secretary of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party (DMK) for nine terms. He has held ...

, Former Member of Parliament of the Republic of India * Subbiah Arunachalam * Sridevi Ashok, television actress * C. Sylendra Babu, renowned

Indian Police Service The Indian Police Service (IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became Partition of India, independent from the British Empire. Along with the Indian Admini ...

officer of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

cadre * K. Balachander, Indian director, producer, writer, actor, playwright, stage conductor, and comedian who worked mainly in the Tamil film industry; graduated in Zoology * Bala V. Balachandran, founder and Dean,

Great Lakes Institute of Management The Great Lakes Institute of Management (also known as Great Lakes or GLIM) is a Private school, private business school in India. It was founded in 2004 by Bala V. Balachandran, a professor at Kellogg School of Management with its first cam ...

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

, India * K. Balakrishnan (CPI-M), politician * R. K. Baliga, father of the

Electronic City Electronic City is an information technology hub in Bengaluru, India, located in Anekal taluk. Spread over 800 acres (3.2 km²) near Konappana Agrahara and Doddathogur it houses a large number of electronic/IT industrial parks. Electro ...

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

, India * T. K. Doraiswamy, poet and novelist * Ere. Elamvazhuthi, MLA for Cuddalore constituency of Tamil Nadu from 1967 to 1970 representing

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; ; DMK) is an Indian political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu, where it is currently the ruling party, and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry, where it is currently the main ...

(DMK) * Kulandei Francis, activist, social worker, recipient of the

Magsaysay Award The Ramon Magsaysay Award ( Filipino: ''Gawad Ramon Magsaysay'') is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idea ...

in 2012 * R Gandhi, retired deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India * A. S. Gnanasambandan, Tamil writer, scholar and literary critic from Tamil Nadu, India * Kovai Gnani, writer and Marxist thinker * Ravi Gomatam, quantum physicist, director of Bhaktivedanta Institute and Institute for Semantic Information Sciences and Technology, Berkeley, and Mumbai *Justice

V. R. Krishna Iyer Justice Vaidyanathapuram Rama Iyer Krishna Iyer (15 November 1914 – 4 December 2014) was an Indian judge who became a pioneer of judicial activism. He pioneered the legal-aid movement in the country. Before that, he was a state minister and ...

judge, presidential candidate, Minister for Law and Irrigation Kerala *

Narayanaswamy Jayaraman Narayanaswamy Jayaraman (born 25 May 1964) is an Indian organic chemist and a professor and the chair of the department of organic chemistry at the Indian Institute of Science. He is known for his work on synthesis of complex carbohydrates and n ...

, organic chemist and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar laureate * D. R. Karthikeyan,

officer from Tamil Nadu * G. Nammalvar, agriculturist, scientist *

V. Narayanasamy Velu Narayanasamy (born 30 May 1947) is an Indian politician who served as the 10th Chief Minister of Puducherry from 2016 to 2021. He is a member of Indian National Congress political party. He previously served as Member of Parliament, re ...

, politician, Former Chief Minister of

Puducherry Puducherry or Pondicherry may refer to: Places in India * Puducherry (union territory), formerly known as Pondicherry ** Puducherry (city), capital of the union territory of Puducherry ** Puducherry district The Puducherry District, also know ...

* K. A. Mathiazhagan, senate member of this university, Minister of Tamil Nadu and speaker of Tamil Nadu legislative assembly. *

Vennira Aadai Moorthy Vennira Aadai Moorthy (born 25 July 1936) is an Indian actor and comedian in Tamil cinema. He has starred in many Tamil films and television serials as a comedian and also played supporting roles. He is a lawyer by education, and holds a B.L. ...

, Tamil comedy actor * N. S. Satya Murthy – physicist, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar laureate * G. Balakrish Nair, Indian

microbiologist A microbiologist (from Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of par ...

* K. S. Narayanaswamy, Carnatic veena exponent of the Thanjavur style * Nedumaran, Tamil politician from the state of Tamil Nadu, South India * V. R. Nedunchezhiyan, former

chief minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

of Tamil Nadu * K. Ponmudy, Minister Of Higher Education * Vijaya T. Rajendar, Tamil actor, singer, director and politician * Panruti S. Ramachandran * Sujatha Ramdorai, professor of mathematics and

Canada Research Chair Canada Research Chair (CRC) is a title given to certain Canadian university research professors by the Canada Research Chairs Program. Program goals The Canada Research Chair program was established in 2000 as a part of the Government of Canada ...

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

Savitha Reddy Savitha Radhakrishnan is an Indian voice actor. Career Radhakrishnan made her debut as a child voice actor in a film for Sujitha and continued for many movies as a voice actor in both Tamil and Telugu movies. She later as a teen dubbed for ...

, dubbing artist in the southern India film industry * V. Sethuraman, dermatologist and actor * V. T. Sambanthan, fifth president of

Malaysian Indian Congress The Malaysian Indian Congress ( abbrev: MIC; )，formerly known as Malayan Indian Congress, is a Malaysian political party. It is one of the founding members of the coalition Barisan Nasional, previously known as the Alliance, which was in pow ...

and one of the founding fathers of Malaysia * E. V. Sampathkumaran, condensed matter physicist, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar laureate * Narayanasami Sathyamurthy,

scientist A scientist is a person who Scientific method, researches to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engag ...

* Pakkiriswamy Chandra Sekharan, forensic expert and

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...

recipient * S. S. Sivasankar, Minister of Tamil Nadu Transportation,Former Minister of Minorities MLA ( Kunnam (State Assembly Constituency)) * S. D. Somasundaram, former cabinet minister * S. Srinivasan, aerospace scientist and

recipient * Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam,

Carnatic music Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha. It is o ...

vocalist Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

* M. Swaraj, MLA Kerala * Ramanuja Vijayaraghavan, Indian physicist, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar laureate (1976), UGC Raman Award (1983)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Universities in Tamil Nadu Education in Cuddalore district Universities and colleges established in 1929 1929 establishments in India Agricultural universities and colleges in India Agriculture in Tamil Nadu