Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

About College:

The Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur (IITK), like the other older IITs, has become synonymous with excellence. It is often remarked how in India, kids hear more about the IITs when they are growing up, than about their cousins, such is the rush towards reaching this very top. Lakhs of students from all over the country enrol themselves over countless hours of coaching classes in order to secure a seat among these IITs. Within this elite list of institutions, there is a super- elite subgroup known as the original IITs, which is a group of the 7 original ones which are – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Guwahati and Roorkee. 

Securing a seat at the IITs is done through a rigorous selection process involving the JEE (Joint Entrance Examination). This is the largest entrance exam in the country in terms of numbers and possibly amongst the largest in the world. This paper is given by more than 12 lakh people annually. It is a 3- hour exam worth 90 marks constituting 3 segments with equal weightage. Those segments are- Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics. The best of the performers, totalling roughly 2 lakhs of them are further shortlisted for the JEE Advanced which is for selection to the IITs. The JEE Advanced is conducted over 2 rounds on the same day. The morning paper which runs from 9 am till noon is followed by a break and then another 3 hour one. The pattern, however, is not so well understood as the marks pattern is not clearly defined. It keeps changing annually. All this effort means that the acceptance rate is minuscule, standing at around 0.5% for IITK in stark contrast to global luminaries such as MIT, Stanford or UC Berkeley standing at 7.5%, 4.8% and 17.5% respectively. Admissions to the master’s level programmes is via the GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering). 

The IIT Kanpur was first set up in 1960. An American consortium of nine colleges was instrumental in the institute’s early development. It was also the first institute to set up full-fledged computer courses which it did back in 1963. Initially, IITK was set up at another location within the same city in Uttar Pradesh before moving to its present 1000- acre campus in 1963. A new extension centre has also been established in Noida, also in Uttar Pradesh. An alumnus has set up IITK office in New York City as well. The campus is very well- stocked with all amenities present within it. A few years back, an inventive approach was applied toward the placements with the deployment of helicopter services to ferry the recruiters who found it difficult to commute. There are several courses on offer at the undergrad level, beginning with the flagship 4- year B. Tech. The B.S. here is equally prestigious. There are master’s level, doctorate and integrated programmes as well.

The academics is handled by the different departments within the campus. These departments are in – Physics, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial & Management Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Biological Sciences & Bioengineering, Economic Sciences and Material Science & Engineering. Realizing its importance over the coming years, the IIT- Kanpur even has a specialized Humanities and Social Sciences wing. In addition to these conventional disciplines, there are some centres for an interdisciplinary study where specializations are combined to greater effect. These are in – Cognitive Science, Design Programme, Nuclear Engineering & Technology and Phonetics Science & Engineering. 

The main research and development activities are facilitated by different centres within the institute. There are centres for – Mechatronics, Mathematical Sciences, Development of Technical Education, Display Technologies, Lasers & Photonics, Advanced Imaging, Environmental Science & Engineering as well as several others. As entrepreneurship and incubation are such an important aspect of life in the IITs, a centre has been opened in collaboration with SIDBI for the same. IITK is also a leader when it comes to industry or government consulting. A lot of the training and research is also anchored by the alumni of IITK. Some of the luminaries to have passed through the walls of IITK include top academicians researchers, industry heads and government leaders.

Life at IITK is much more than academics alone. There are several clubs and committees where students can fulfil their needs for other interests and hobbies. One such particularly renowned is the Book Club, while another is the Gliding Club. There is a volunteering wing or social good known as Antaragni. Tech-kriti is a national- level conclave to encourage a scientific temper and interest in technology among students. The E- Summit is organized by the Entrepreneurship Cell. The annual inter-college sports meet is dubbed Udghosh but it also involves sports quizzes and motivational talks. There is a Vivekananda Youth Leadership Convention where top speakers have visited the campus and addressed students on diverse issues.