The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, popularly known as the acronym 'TANUVAS', blossomed on 20.09.1989 as the first Veterinary University of the country, through the Tamil Nadu State Government Act 42 of 1989. The seed for the establishment and growth of TANUVAS was sown as early as 1876, when the Madras Veterinary College was started as an Agricultural School in Chennai to offer diploma and certificate course in the field of veterinary and animal sciences. The institute attained the status of a college on 01.10.1903, when it started functioning at Dobbin Hall, Chennai and admitted 20 students for a three-year diploma course called GMVC (Graduate of Madras Veterinary College). It was the only veterinary college in the erstwhile composite Madras State till mid 1950’s.
The internationally acclaimed Madras Veterinary College, Chennai, the Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal, the Fisheries College and Research Institute, Thoothukudi (presently under Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalitha Fisheries University) and other Training and Research Centres, Research Farms, Farmers’ Training Centres, and diagnostic laboratories were the constituent units. TANUVAS later established a College of Food and Dairy Technology at Koduvalli, two more veterinary colleges at Tirunelveli and Orathanadu, a College of Poultry Production and Management at Hosur, besides a number of Training and Research Centres (located in most of the districts), and a Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Madurai. Additionally, three more veterinary colleges have been established during 2020 at Salem, Theni and Udumalpet.
At present, TANUVAS has a total of seven Veterinary Colleges, a College of Food and Dairy Technology, a College of Poultry Production and Management, 10 Research Farms, 15 Research Laboratories and Diagnostic Centres, 20 Veterinary University Training and Research Centres, three Farmers’ Training Centres, and four Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
The undergraduate courses offered include B.V.Sc. & A.H., B.Tech. (Food Technology), B.Tech. (Dairy Technology) and B.Tech. (Poultry Technology). Besides, postgraduate courses viz. M.V.Sc. in 22 disciplines, M.Tech. in three disciplines, M.Sc. in Bioinformatics, M.Sc. in Biostatistics, and MBA in Food and Livestock Business Management, Ph.D. in 20 disciplines of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Ph.D. in Food Technology, five PG Diploma and a number of PG Diploma and Certificate courses in distance mode are also offered.