Chennai and Education; The University of Madras

Schools in Chennai are either run publicly by the Tamil Nadu government, or run privately, some with financial aid from the government. The medium of education in private schools is English. Government run schools offer both English and Tamil medium education, English being preferred by a majority.

The prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras (1959), is located in the south of the city and is internationally renowned for its engineering program. Located nearby, is the main campus of Anna University (1978), which formed from a merger of the College of Engineering, Guindy (1794), the Madras Institute of Technology (1949), the Alagappa College of Technology (1944), and the School of Architecture and Planning (1957). Almost all colleges in Tamil Nadu that offer programs in engineering, technology and architecture are affiliated to Anna University.

The Madras Medical College, established in 1835, is one of the oldest educational institutions to offer medical education in the Indian subcontinent. Madras Veterinary College established in 1903 was the first institution of its kind in India.

The University of Madras (established 1857)
The University has three campuses in the city and offers a range of programs in liberal arts, science and commerce. A large majority of city colleges are affiliated to the university and offer programs in medicine, law, science, Arts and commerce. The University is one of the three oldest universities in India (along with University of Mumbai and University of Calcutta). In 2004, all engineering courses of the University were shifted to Anna University.
The various departments of the University also conduct research in addition to teaching. There are nearly 43 external research institutes in addition to centers of excellence within the University. The university has been granted the 5 star status, the highest grade by the NAAC of University Grants Commission.

Notable Personalities from University of Madras

Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his discovery of Raman effect)
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his contributions in astrophysics)
Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India
Dr G.N. Ramachandran (biophysicst who solved the structure of collagen)
Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy (former President of India)
Palaniappan Chidambaram (Finance Minister of India)

(notes on our visit to the university to follow)