Anna University- A Single Affiliating University

Anna University which was a single affiliating university has earned the opportunity again. It will once again become a Single Affiliating University for engineering colleges all over the state Tamil Nadu from August 1.

The Chief Minister Miss.Jayalalithaa announced the date from which five regional Anna University of Technology (AUT) is functioning in different parts of the State will be merged under Anna University, which was the state's first technical university since 1978.

It was split by the DMK regime to create regional universities in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Thirunelveli from 2007 for various reasons such as decentralizing administration of technical education and creating geographical proximity with affiliated Engineering Colleges. Anna University, the parent institution was converted into a non-affiliating University with some of the constituent colleges under it.

However, the present AIADMK government took a policy decision in order to merge the five regional universities and passes a bill to that effect in September 2011. Thereafter, it appointed a monitoring committee under senior civil servant Sheels Balahrishnan to study all aspects of the proposed merger, including the status of students, teachers, non-teaching staff, moveable and immovable assets and presented a detailed report.

An official said that, based on the detailed report, the CM ordered the merger of the five AUT's with Anna University, Chennai and it will come into force from 1st August, 2012.

As a result of this move, 535 Engineering colleges will be affiliated to Anna University, and 12 constituent colleges under Tiruchi, Tirunelveli, Chennai and Madurai AUT's will become constituent colleges under the Anna University. The merger would not affect the academic schedule, as already the semester examinations held in the month of January and May 2012 were conducted directly by Anna University.