IIT Roorkee: India's Oldest Engineering Institution Completes 178 Years of Excellence

The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, which was originally the Thomason College of Civil Engineering in 1847, is India's oldest engineering college. As it is set to celebrate its 178th year, IIT Roorkee remains a forerunner in technical education and research.

 

Main points:

 

Founded in 1847 by Sir James Thomason, Lieutenant Governor of the North Western Provinces

 

Become the seventh IIT in 2001, previously being referred to as the University of Roorkee

 

Was ranked 383rd in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2025

 

Produced 10 Padma winners and 25 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize winners

 

The institution's extensive past and ongoing excellence in engineering education establish it as a foundation of India's technical expertise. With IIT Roorkee gearing up for its next GATE 2025 results declaration on March 19, it repositions itself as a frontrunner in building India's engineering ecosystem.

 

Sources: Vedantu, SuccessCDs, Times of India, March 16, 2025