During the independence period, Sir Jogendra Singh, the Viceroy’s Executive Council saw that there was a massive requirement for post-war industrial development. He knew that there was an urgent need for the creation of higher technical institutions in India post-independence. Headed by Nalini Ranjan Sarkar, a team of 22 members was formed who were set on a mission to establish a few revolutionary institutions in India – Indian Institute of Technology (IITs).
The first IIT was set up in Kharagpur in 1950. With time, 4 more IITs were established of which Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) is at the forefront since its inception. Nevertheless, with the changing time, the Indian education system is adapting. From the chalk and board format to e-classrooms, the education system has been making a major shift. Over time, the importance of learning through experimentation is being understood.
Speaking of which research and development have been playing a crucial role in the development of the world from a number of decades. With time, there have been changes in the way research institutes function and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi has adapted accordingly
A Sanctuary which Nurtures Excellence
Established in 1961, IITD is a public technical and research institute situated in Hauz Kauz, Delhi. Over the years, IITD has played a significant role in providing the brightest minds to the humankind. Due to its achievements, the government of India has given it a status of Institution of Eminence (IoE). Apart from the basic engineering courses at the bachelors and masters level, the institute offers numerous courses for PG Diploma, M.Sc., M.B.A., Ph.D., and so on.
IITD has its main campus in Hauz Kauz with two satellite campuses in Sonipat and Jhajjar. It is spread over 325 acres of the area and is divided into four zones. These four zones are namely divided into Student Residential Zone; Faculty and Staff Residential Zone; Student Recreational Area with the Student Activity Center (SAC), football stadium, cricket ground, basketball courts, hockey field, lawn tennis courts and swimming pool and Academic Zone with department offices, lecture theatres, libraries and workshops.
Furthermore, the student residential zone at IITD campus has been divided into two main sections—boys hostel area and girls hostel area. This zone encompasses 13 hostels for boys and 2 hostels for girls. Along with this, the institute has made separate accommodations provisions for married students.
Speaking about the interdisciplinary centres in the academic zone, it has 11 diversified multi-disciplinary centres. These centres are a combination of both, the engineering and science department. To date, students have been successfully guided to deliver outstanding research projects.
The Visionary Front Runner
The current Director of IITD is Dr. V. Ramgopal Rao. Prior to joining IITD as the Director, Dr. Rao played a significant role in various renowned institutions and research centres. To name a few, he was the P. K. Kelkar Chair Professor for Nanotechnology in the Department of Electrical Engineering. Apart from this, he was also the Chief Investigator for the Centre of Excellence in Nanoelectronics project at IIT Bombay.
Due to his vast knowledge in the area of nano-scale devices and nanoelectronics, he was able to publish over 450 research publications. He has 43 patents and patent applications of which, 15 are issued US patents under his name. Already having excelled in his research area, he is also the co-founder of two deep technology startups at IIT Bombay named Nanosnif and Soilsens. Currently, these two startups are run by Ph.D. students of IIT.
Excelling through Knowledge
IIT Delhi is ranked at the number one position in the category—Educational Institute in India by Outlook India. It has also bagged the 47th rank in the Engineering & Technology category for QS Subject for 2020. Since its inception, the students and the alumni have marked their name in their respective fields.
Moving ahead, as there is a shift in the industry trends, currently, students from IITD have started moving towards the startup’s culture. Seeing the overwhelming response, IITD has started various initiatives wherein students are guided to build their own business. These initiatives help the students develop various skillsets required by the fast-paced industry.
Mentioning about the support, Dr. Rao says that IITD provides an excellent ecosystem to its students for developing entrepreneurial skills. Adding to this, he says that the Indian origin people with unicorn start-up are mostly from IITD.
IITD has come up with a program where the students work beyond the classroom. They are allowed to take up various internship opportunities with the rural community, hospitals, or the farmers. These students generally identify a problem. Further, IITD provides them with support for their further research.
Another great initiative taken up by IITD is FIRE – Faculty Innovation and Research-driven Entrepreneurship. Through this initiative, the faculty members are promoted to come up with innovative ideas. The members are provided with a grant up to 50 lakhs and three years of leave with one year fully paid leave.
Working towards a Cause
Today, the pollution level is affecting numerous lives on the planet. Keeping this in mind, IITD has been working towards bringing a change. Recently, an exhibition had been set up at IITD wherein numerous projects on the issue of air pollution were showcased by the students of IIT.
To give an example, a startup is working on collecting the carbon from the atmosphere that is emitted by vehicles and further converted it into inks for printers. The entire IITD campus is a Zero Waste Initiative as all the waste including water is recycled and put back into the system.
Towards Newer Horizons
When it comes to engineering and science sector, IITD is already a well-known name. Moving a step ahead, IITD is planning to offer a course in B.Des. and economics in the coming years. In the far future, it will start providing distance courses so that maximum students are benefitted. It is also planning to start a science park in a few years.
