Mahatma Gandhi University, one of the major  Universities in Kerala, is a premier educational institution that strives to fulfill the higher educational needs of the people from Central Kerala. Set on the sprawling 110-acre Priyadarsini Hills Campus at Athirampuzha, 12 kms off Kottayam, the University also has two satellite campuses in  Kottayam . The University was established on 2nd October 1983 and has jurisdiction over the revenue districts of Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and parts of Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha. The Institution offers a large number of programmes at the Undergraduate, Postgraduate, M Phil and Doctoral levels through its 23 University Departments, 2 International and Inter University Centre, 7 Inter University Centres, 10 Inter School Centres, 77 Govt./Aided Affiliated Colleges, 10 Autonomous Colleges (of which 8 are Colleges with a Potential for Excellence), 200 Unaided Affiliated Colleges and 199 Recognized Research Centres. It imparts education in the interdisciplinary as well as conventional disciplines of Science, Social Science and Humanities besides in the professional disciplines like Engineering, Technology, Legal Studies, Pedagogy, Pharmacy and Nursing.