Manonmaniam Sundaranar University

Manonmaniam Sundaranar University is a public university located in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India, It was hived off the Madurai Kamaraj University on 7 September 1990.

The motto of the university is "In Pursuit of Excellence". It is named after the Tamil scholar/professor Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai. The university has 24 departments in arts, languages, sciences, engineering and technology. 102 colleges in the Kanyakumari, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts are affiliated to it.

Campuses
Its main campus is a 520 acre site in Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli where the majority of the university departments function. Another 120 acre campus at Alwarkurichi houses the Sri Parama Kalyani Centre for Environmental Sciences department and a 70 acre campus at Rajakkamangalam houses the Centre for Marine Sciences and Technology.

Constituents
The university has 61 affiliated colleges, 5 Mano colleges and 1 constituent college, with 65,000 students on rolls under its jurisdiction.

Foundation
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, named after the famous Tamil scholar/professor M. Sundaram Pillai, was established on 7 September 1990 to cater to the needs of the people of the three southernmost districts of Tamil Nadu — Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari.

Accreditations
The University Grants Commission, New Delhi has accorded its approval for getting financial assistance since 29 March 1994. The university is accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council of India with 'A' grade status. The University Act authorizes the functioning of the Directorate of Distance and Continuing Education outside the university jurisdiction and the courses offered through this mode are recognized by the Distance Education Council of India.

Community colleges
The community colleges offer diploma courses of one-year duration to those interested in entrepreneurial enterprises. The Extension Learning Programme offers diploma and certificate courses on skill development.