The University, initially know as Andhra Pradesh Open University, was set up on 26th August 1982 to an Act of A.P State Legislature. The establishment of this University, the first of its kind in INDIA, heralded an era of affirmative action on the part of Government of Andhra Pradesh to provide opportunities of higher education to all sections of society to meet the changing individual and social needs. With this motto " EDUCATION FOR ALL ", the University has a mandate which has been specified in the University Act(APOU Act 1982,amended 1992)

Starting with a modest strength of 6,321 in 1983 their has been a steady raise in the student enrollment reaching a figure of about 90,000 in 2001, with an over all strength of about 4.5 lakh students on rolls. The University,
operating to a network of 200 Study Centers, has brought legitimacy to the Open Learning System by maintaining

• Equivalence of content and form of its programs with other universities
• Quality if its course materials
• Efficient network of delivery systems, and
• Validity of testing and evaluation procedures

88 University Important Milestones