Mahatma Gandhi University is one of the four affiliating Universities of Kerala and is situated in the Central Kerala District of Kottayam which is acclaimed as the land of Letters, Latex and Lakes. Set up on the sprawling 110 acre Priyadarshini Hills Campus at Athirampuzha, 13 kms off Kottayam, the University also has ten satellite campuses in parts of Kottayam and the neighbouring districts. Mahatma Gandhi University's academic growth during the past has been phenomenal in terms of the number of academic initiatives launched, curricular revisions undertaken, research grants received, research collaborations entered into, extension activities organized, research papers published, national and international seminars hosted, student support programmes conducted, quality enhancement measures initiated, infrastructural support generated, resource mobilization and distinctions acquired. The University is prominently placed on the international academic map through its entry into the Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge initiative for Indo-U.S. academic collaboration as the lone affiliating University besides many other claims. Introduction of a series of merit cum means scholarships like ASPIRE, INSPIRE, THANMA and ACQUIRE is another major feature.