Anna University is one of the top most universities in India. It was established in the year 1978 in the city of Chennai, formerly known University Results as Madras. The warm and humid climate of Chennai along with the hospitable people of the city led to the establishment of the first university in India to issue Engineering Degrees known as Madras Institute of technology in the year 1949. Madras has been a city of intelligent and hardworking people. During the British rule, it was an important center of trade and communication with a strong naval Govt Job base. Several intellectuals migrated to this city at that time. With the formation of the state of tamil nadu, and with importance given to education after independence of India, the need to form a university was felt. At this time, four top colleges of the state were brought together and Anna University was established.
Anna University was originally named as “Perarignar Anna University of Technology” till the year 1982. Its main campus is located in southern Chennai with 100 acres of land nearby Adyar River and Raj Bhavan. The four colleges which were merged to form Anna University are:
1. College of Engineering, Guindy
2. Alagappa College of technology
3. Madras Institute of College
4. School of Architecture and Planning
In the year 2001, it was formed into an affiliating university. Since then 250 Engineering colleges in tamil nadu have been brought under it. Today it boasts of a wi-fi enabled campus and some modern research centers. It has started various special courses like courses in nano sciences and medical physics. Recently it was given a 70,000 USD grant by HP. In the year 2007, it opened up its branches in Coimbatore, Trichy and Tirunelveli.