The university was established by the Legislative Assembly of the government of Tamil Nadu in Act 27 of 2002 to provide access to higher education for those who had been previously unable to pursue it. It opened in 2003, was recognized by the
University Grants Commission in September 2015, and is one of five universities approved to offer distance learning outside its state of establishment. it was one of 14 state open universities in India, which also has one national open university,
Indira Gandhi National Open University; it was one of 111 distance learning institutions in the country. it offers 113 programmes of study at levels from certificate to post graduate and has 13 academic schools, five support divisions, a media centre and more than 600 learner support centres across Tamil Nadu. == Admittance ==