Indian Institute of Technology - Roorkee (IIT Roorkee)

Foreword:

Established way back in the 18^th century, the institution was under University of Roorkee and got the dream status of Indian Institute of Technology in 2001. IIT Roorkee is a public university located in the small town of Roorkee in the state of Uttarakhand. Becoming the 7^th IIT, the Roorkee branch is one of the best engineering colleges in the country.

Location:

IIT Roorkee is quite centrally located and has somewhat an urban campus. Since, Roorkee is not one of the big cities/metros; the overall feel still remains rural. Despite this, the college accessibility is pretty convenient as the whole city is located nearby the college. Hostels are within the campus; hence students need not travel all the way to the college. All in all, the feel of a small town in always felt at IIT Roorkee.

Campus and Infrastructure:

Spread over a mediocre 356 acres, the Indian Institute of Technology at Roorkee has one of the cleanest campuses among all the IIT’s. The classrooms are quite above average, with most of them air conditioned. Labs are well maintained, apparatus available most of the times, and LAN and wifi connectivity ensures facilities quite up to the mark. Students of the Roorkee campus feel that it’s Asia’s number no.1 library as there is no restriction to use the library at any odd hours and during exam time; the time is extended to midnight, has books of all the possible courses in abundance, internet facilities, air conditioners, etc . Guess that’s what you ONLY do at IIT, STUDY!

There are many hostels within the campus and generally students get a hostel almost close to their lecture halls. During the first year, students have to share the hostel rooms but second year onwards; everyone is allotted an individual room. Royal treatment!

Courses Offered:

Fees:

Indian Institute of Technology at Roorkee charges Rs. 40,000 per semester (2 semesters per year) which includes hostel staying and mess food.

Faculty:

Just like all the other IIT’s, the faculty at the Roorkee campus is extremely qualified and highly knowledgeable. All the professors have their doctorate degree from great American universities; some are involved with current government projects while a few are the authority of metallurgy. The excellent experienced teaching staff is pretty co-operative with all student matters and doubts. Communication ain’t a problem as basic lectures are conducted in English.

Crowd:

A typical IIT crowd - boys, boys and boys! As IIT’s are the premium and highly reputed engineering institutes in the country, getting into them is extremely difficult. So, when somebody gets into any IIT, location becomes an extremely worthless parameter, though metros are the top priority. Hence, you see students from different corners, big cities, small towns or villages, join the institute. Apart from the daily 23 hours studying, not literally, students spent time in their recreational centres, loitering in the city of Roorkee, and celebrating college festivals on an extremely large scale. Luckily, you don’t experience any ragging scene here.

Rankings:

Roughly a rank around 1500-1700 in the JEE exam can fetch you a desired stream in the Indian Institute of Technology at Roorkee. As an institution, students aim to join the IIT’s in the metro cities, hence IIT Roorkee becomes the 6^th or 7^th best institute in the country. Isn’t that sufficient also?

Placements and Internships:

When you’re in India’s top engineering institute, expect one thing for sure, 100% placements. High profile companies and MNC’s like Google, IBM, Microsoft, Barclays, TATA Steel, Siemens, and hundred such more come to the Roorkee campus during the placement season. The average pay package would be anything around a whopping 7 lakh rupees.

Students get internship offers in the third year from excellent companies which pay them around 20,000 to 30,000 per month for atleast two months.

Festivals and Activities:

There are two major college festivals held round the year. 'Thomso', the annual cultural festival, held in the month of October, where you see hundreds of cultural events, rock shows, musical nights by renowned Indian singers, etc. 'Cognizant', the tech fest of IIT Roorkee, is held in late February.

Canteen/Mess:

A typical college canteen where you see chit chatting going on round the clock. It serves average food at pretty subsidized rates. It’s decently spacious and sometimes nerds are seen completing assignments.

Mess food is pretty normal and nothing to boast about. Occasionally you get to have some awesome delicacies, rest of the time; it’s the typical traditional food just about edible. With such subsidized rates, students rarely complain to the authorities are quite habituated.

Contact:

Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
Roorkee 247667.
Uttarakhand, India.
Tel: +91-1332-285311
Website : www.iitr.ac.in

Verdict:

“At IIT Roorkee, you can meet quality of peers”, quoted by one of the Roorkee-ite with a microprocessor book in hand. Definitely, one of the premium engineering institutes in India, and will always be a dream institute for every aspirant.