TamilNadu Open University

In 2003-04, Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) began academic operations. AICTE, RCI, NCTE and UGC-DEB have recognised all its academic programs. UGC has allotted the 12B status to TNOU.

TNOU has the round-the-year admission policy. It schedules all examinations on weekends. It has the continuous assessment provision. This is very effective and offers rising higher education access. Also, this has adequately handled the issue of quantity. With the aim of perpetually enhancing the higher education quality, TNOU has been utilising the advancements in ICT.

In the past two decades, the growth of TNOU is phenomenal. It has about 234 programs in different disciplines and skills. They are at varying levels from ‘Certificate’ to ‘Post Graduate’ courses and have a gross student strength of more than 10 lakhs. These students study in a total of 11 academic schools, one media centre and five support divisions. Across the state of Tamil Nadu, TNOU has a strong network of community colleges and learner support centres. In 2017, TNOU got the UGC-DEB approval for beginning the M. Phil. and the Ph. D. programs in regular mode.

In 2008, the Government of Tamilnadu selected TNOU to commence skill development programs. For this, the order is G.O.M.s. No-163 dated 22-05-2008. the goal is to utilise community colleges for providing skill-based education and training to the disadvantaged people in the state. These skill-based education and training courses are offered at the following levels: advanced vocational diploma, vocational diploma, certificate and short term.

Presently, TNOU has automated its learner support systems that cater to academic counselling, material distribution, examination and admission, among others.

Presently, India has 16 open universities out of which the UGC has given 6 the 12B status. TNOU stands out apart among these six universities with 105 sanctioned teaching staff strength and 68 non-teaching staff strength.

Since the beginning, TNOU has focused on the learning requirements of the deprived and disadvantaged sections in our society. The vision of TNOU is to enhance the access to higher education and uplift the higher education quality that is delivered through the open and distance learning methods. To actualise this vision, the Government of Tamil Nadu founded TNOU.

In TNOU, applicants must have the following during online admission:

• An email ID, which is valid
• A mobile number
• Internet banking, debit card or credit card
• The JPEG file of the certificate of the highest qualification (Std X, Std XII, Diploma or Degree)
• Community certificate for availing scholarship, if the applicant wants scholarship
• A scanned copy of a recent colour photograph
• A scanned copy of the signature

To submit an application for admission, applicants must do the following:

1. Open the URL (www.tnou.ac.in).
   The home page is displayed.
2. At the top, click the ONLINE ADMISSION menu.
   A webpage is displayed to make entries of new registration of the applicant by entering the application details.
3. Click the NEW REGISTRATION button.
   The Login screen is displayed with the following buttons:
   1. Applicant Login
   2. Study Centre Login
   3. Regional Centre