IIT Kharagpur: IIT Kharagpur, the oldest Indian Institute of Technology, is notable for being the first IIT founded following India's independence. It was established in 1951 in Kharagpur, West Bengal, in accordance with the Sarkar Committee's proposal to establish higher technical schools modeled after MIT. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad officially opened the institute on August 18, 1951, and it was notably established at the location of the former Hijli Detention Camp. IIT Roorkee is the oldest technical college in the nation, having been founded as the College of Civil Engineering in 1847, although it was formally integrated and transformed into an IIT much later, in 2001. In contrast, other prominent institutions, such as IIT Roorkee, have older founding dates.
Thus, IIT Kharagpur continues to be the actual pioneer and the first to use the IIT moniker in the lineage of the IIT system established by the Indian Parliament. The system swiftly grew after IIT Kharagpur's success, with the establishment of IIT Bombay (1958), IIT Madras (1959), and IIT Kanpur (1959) in quick succession to guarantee geographically balanced technological growth throughout the country.
Which Is The Oldest IIT In India?
The oldest IIT in India is IIT Kharagpur. Established in 1951 at Kharagpur, West Bengal, it was the first Indian Institute of Technology. It was founded to support post-independence technical education in India.
| No. | Name | Abbreviation | Founded | State/UT |
| 1 | IIT Kharagpur | IITKGP | 1951 | West Bengal |
| 2 | IIT Bombay | IITB | 1958 | Maharashtra |
| 3 | IIT Madras | IITM | 1959 | Tamil Nadu |
| 4 | IIT Kanpur | IITK | 1959 | Uttar Pradesh |
| 5 | IIT Delhi | IITD | 1961 | Delhi |
| 6 | IIT Guwahati | IITG | 1994 | Assam |
| 7 | IIT Roorkee | IIT R | 1847 (converted as IIT 2002) | Uttarakhand |
| 8 | IIT Ropar | IIT RPR | 2008 | Punjab |
| 9 | IIT Bhubaneswar | IIT BBS | 2008 | Odisha |
| 10 | IIT Gandhinagar | IIT GN | 2008 | Gujarat |
| 11 | IIT Hyderabad | IITH | 2008 | Telangana |
| 12 | IIT Jodhpur | IITJ | 2008 | Rajasthan |
| 13 | IIT Patna | IITP | 2008 | Bihar |
| 14 | IIT Indore | IITI | 2009 | Madhya Pradesh |
| 15 | IIT Mandi | IIT Mandi | 2009 | Himachal Pradesh |
| 16 | IIT (BHU) Varanasi | IIT BHU | 1919 (Converted as IIT 2012) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 17 | IIT Palakkad | IIT PKD | 2015 | Kerala |
| 18 | IIT Tirupati | IIT TP | 2015 | Andhra Pradesh |
| 19 | IIT (ISM) Dhanbad | IIT(ISM) | 1926 (Converted as IIT 2016) | Jharkhand |
| 20 | IIT Bhilai | IIT BHILAI | 2016 | Chhattisgarh |
| 21 | IIT Dharwad | IIT DH | 2016 | Karnataka |
| 22 | IIT Jammu | IIT JMU | 2016 | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 23 | IIT Goa | IIT Goa | 2016 | Goa |
Oldest IIT In India: Eligibility, Courses
IIT Kharagpur, which was founded in West Bengal in 1951, is the oldest Indian Institute of Technology. It pioneered the IIT system in India by being the first institution to be recognized as an IIT by a specific act of Parliament. The main academic programs that IIT Kharagpur offers are listed in the table below, along with the general requirements for admission.
| Program Level | Major Courses Offered | Eligibility & Selection Criteria |
| Undergraduate (UG) | B.Tech (4 Years): Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Electronics & Electrical Communication, Aerospace, Chemical, Mining, etc. | Eligibility: Passed Class 12 with at least 75% aggregate marks (or top 20 percentile) with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM). |
| B.Arch (5 Years): Bachelor of Architecture | Selection: Must qualify in JEE Main followed by JEE Advanced. Admission is finalized through JoSAA counselling. | |
| Dual Degree (UG+PG) | B.Tech + M.Tech (5 Years): Integrated programs combining B.Tech with specialization in M.Tech (e.g., Computer Science, Mechanical). | Eligibility: Passed Class 12 with PCM (same as B.Tech). |
| Integrated M.Sc. (5 Years): Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics & Computing, Economics, Geology, etc. | Selection: Must qualify in JEE Main followed by JEE Advanced. Admission is finalized through JoSAA counselling. | |
| Postgraduate (PG) | M.Tech (2 Years): Specializations across all engineering branches (e.g., Thermal, Control Systems, Data Analytics). | Eligibility: Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Technology/Architecture/M.Sc with a minimum aggregate of 60% marks (55% for SC/ST/PwD). |
| M.Sc. (2 Years): Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geology, etc. | Selection: Must have a valid GATE score and register via COAP counselling. (IIT graduates with CGPA ≥8.0 are exempted from GATE). | |
| MBA (2 Years): Master of Business Administration (VGSOM) | Eligibility: Bachelor's degree with a minimum 60% aggregate. | |
| LL.B. / LL.M. | Selection: Must have a valid CAT score followed by a Personal Interview (PI). | |
| Doctoral | Ph.D.: Available across Engineering, Science, Humanities, and Management departments. | Selection: Based on a written test/interview, often requiring a valid GATE/NET/JRF score, depending on the department and prior degree. |
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