Gandhigram Rural University

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The Gandhigram Rural Institute (GRI) is an Indian university that was founded in 1956 as a small, rural college. Based on Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Nai Talim system of education, GRI has developed academic programmes in Rural Development, Rural Economics and Extension Education, Rural Oriented Sciences, Cooperation, Development Administration, Rural Sociology, English and Communicative Studies, and, Tamil and Indian Languages. It's students are trained to meet the personnel needs for rural development under various governmental and non-governmental schemes. The work of the institute invited national attention and the Government of India (Ministry of Education), on the recommendation of the University Grants Commission, conferred the status of a Deemed University on the Institute under Section (3) of the UGC Act of 1956, on August 3, 1976.

Gandhigram Rural Institute has become a nationally and internationally recognized institute today for its contribution to rural education, so much so that the New Education Policy of the Nation reflects the principles evolved here in developing the rural university concept.

The Institute has grown to comprise seven different faculties, offering about 50 different programmes. It awards Doctoral, Master's and Bachelor's degrees, Diplomas and Certificates. It has, at present, about 2,300 students and 125 teaching and 250 non-teaching staff. The programmes offered here have attracted students from abroad every year.

"One of our major challenges in the coming years is the restructuring of our educational system," stated the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, inaugurating the University on March 8, 1977. "The experience of Gandhigram will be useful in this."

[edit] Campus and Location

The Gandhigram Rural University has a campus of nearly 200 acres in a rural setting, nestling in one of the enclaves of the Sirumalai range, north of Madurai.

Gandhigram is around 12 km from Dindigul which is the nearest District Headquarters. Dindigul is also the nearest major railway station. The nearest airport is Madurai, about 52 km away.