Thoothukudi district is situated in the extreme South-Eastern corner of Tamil Nadu. It is bounded on the north by the districts of Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, and Ramanathapuram, on the east and southeast by the Gulf of Mannar and on the west and southwest by Tirunelveli district. On the 20th, October 1986 a new district, carved out of the erstwhile Tirunelveli district was born in Tamil Nadu and named after V.O.Chidambaranar, a great National leader hailing from Ottapidaram who led the Swadeshi Movement in the south. Since 1997 as in the case of other districts of Tamilnadu, this district has also been named after its headquarters town, Thoothukudi. Thoothukudi District is also known as Tuticorin District.

The area of the district is 4621 Sq. k.m. and the population is 15,72,273. The district has three Educational Districts, Tiruchendur, Thoothukudi and Kovilpatti. The district has twelve Educational Blocks, Thoothukudi - Urban, Thoothukudi - Rural, Tiruchendur, Udangudi, Sattankulam, Srivaikundam, Alwarthirunagari, Karunkulam, Ottapidaram, Kovilpatti, Kayathar, Vilathikulam and Pudur