Roorkee is well-known as one of the leading educational hubs in the country. This status is largely attributed to the establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology at Roorkee. IIT Roorkee has led to the town being recognized as a major educational and industrial center. It has its own unique history as well.
IIT Roorkee was formerly known as the University of Roorkee. The College was established in the year 1847 as the First Engineering College in the British Empire. It was later renamed as The Thomason College of Civil Engineering. In 2001, it became the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. It was declared an “Institution of National Importance”.
Since its inception, the University has been ranked as one the best research institutions of the world, in the field of technology and science. Many IIT alumni have been widely recognized and awarded for their groundbreaking research work. Ten alumni have won the Padma awards and twenty five have won the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology award. IIT continues to be one of the best educational institutions of the country, keeping its heritage alive.