The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University (TNMGRMU) is a government medical university situated in Guindy in the southern part of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is about 7 km (4.3 mi) from the Chennai International Airport and about 13 km (8.1 mi) from the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station. It is one of the premier medical universities named after the AIADMK founder and the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. G. Ramachandran, endearingly known as M.G.R. and it is the second largest health sciences university in India after Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka.

History

The members of the High Level Committee consisting of Dr. S. Arumugam, Dr. M. Natarajan and Dr. S. Kameswaran submitted the proposals to the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. G. Ramachandran in the presence of H. V. Hande, former Minister for Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu on 5 July 1983 to start a separate medical university in Tamil Nadu.

The Tamil Nadu Medical University Act, 1987 received the assent of the former President of India R. Venkataraman on 24 September 1987. This affiliating University started functioning from July 1988 and is governed by the said Act. By 1991, It was named after the AIADMK founder and the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. G. Ramachandran through The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai Act, 1987 by the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi.

The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University is the only Medical University in Tamil Nadu capable of granting affiliation to new medical and paramedical colleges, government or self – financing; and awarding degrees (also note that until 1988, all degrees of Health Sciences in Tamil Nadu were awarded by the University of Madras).

Administration

The Chancellor and Pro-chancellor of the university are the Governor and the Minister of Health and Family Welfare of Tamil Nadu respectively. The Vice-Chancellor is the main academic officer and administrator in its everyday functioning of the university who is appointed by the Government of Tamil Nadu.