Meenakshi College for Women is an Autonomous, Government–aided institution of higher education for women, affiliated to the University of Madras. The College was founded in 1975 the International Women's Year, and is located in the heart of the metropolitan city of Chennai in a sprawling campus.The College is run by the Ganapathi Educational Trust, of which Late Sri. R. Venkataraman, former President of India, was the Founding Chairman and Late Prof. K. R. Sundararajan (KRS), who was instrumental in envisioning and starting the College, was the Founding Secretary. Dr. K. S. Lakshmi, the daughter of Prof. KRS, was the Founding Principal and the present Secretary of the Trust.The College now has more than 3000 women students on its rolls and offers close to 40 undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree programmes in the Arts, Sciences, and Commerce.