The University Grants Commission of India does not believe that names of Indian universities should be unique, so another State Government-run Mahatma Gandhi University was established in 2007 in Andhra Pradesh (now in the newly formed state of Telangana) and got recognition from UGC. The decision was not challenged by the older Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala. Similarly another private university named Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU-Meghalaya) was also established through Meghalaya State legislative Act, 2010 in Meghalaya and followed by same named private universities by Uttarakhand State in 2007 and states of Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh too coming latest in this list.
The university offers around 300 academic programmes (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral degrees) in the fields of Pure and Applied Sciences, Technology, Paramedical Studies, Nursing, Management, Engineering, Gandhian Thought, International Relations, Politics, Physics, Nano Science, Disability Studies, Rehabilitation Sciences, Special Education, Psychology, Behavioural Medicine, Tourism, Journalism, Chemical Sciences, Polymer Engineering, Hospital Administration, Environmental Sciences, Disaster Management, Business Studies, Commerce, Economics, Arts, Pedagogical Studies, Hotel and Hospitality Management, Catering Science, Food and Nutrition, Computer Science, Biotechnology, Geoinformatics among others. Average annual student enrollment is between 17,000-18,000 (2013 statistics).
