Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University (VMOU or previously known as Kota Open University, renamed through a Gazette notification by the Government of Rajasthan on 21st September 2002) came into being in 1987 as a pioneering institution for open learning in Rajasthan. The idea of establishing an open university in the State of Rajasthan has its origin in the observations of the UGC Committee under the Chairmanship of Late Prof. G. Rama Reddy which observed that “the distance system in Rajasthan is well established and has the potential of growing into a full-fledged Open University.”
The establishment of VMOU (Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University) took place with the amalgamation of two institutes of correspondences courses viz. Institute of Correspondence Studies and Continuing Education Jaipur and (College of Correspondence Studies) Udaipur with a view to strengthen and achieve proper coordination among the scattered vast distance education resources and to serve the people of State a uniform high quality education.