Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee or IITR) is the oldest technical institution in India, with a distinguished history spanning over 175 years. Founded in 1847 as the Thomason College of Civil Engineering by James Thomason, the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces, its original purpose was to train engineers and surveyors for the construction of the legendary Ganges Canal. After the canal's completion, the institution was renamed the Thomason College of Civil Engineering in 1854 in honour of Proby Cautley, the canal's designer. It was elevated to university status in 1949 as the University of Roorkee, becoming one of India's earliest independent engineering universities. On September 21, 2001, an ordinance by the Government of India officially designated it as the seventh Indian Institute of Technology, recognizing it as an 'Institute of National Importance.' Located in Roorkee, Uttarakhand — near the majestic foothills of the Himalayas — IIT Roorkee's main campus covers an expansive 365 acres of beautifully landscaped terrain, blending heritage colonial architecture with modern academic facilities. The institute also operates a 25-acre campus in Saharanpur (offering programs in Polymer Science, Paper Technology, Packaging Technology, and Applied Mathematics) and a 10-acre extension centre in Greater Noida. With over 10,300 students enrolled across UG, PG, and PhD levels, IITR is one of the largest technical institutes in India by student strength. Academically, IIT Roorkee offers more than 14 UG, 24 PG, and numerous PhD programs across 22 academic departments, 9 academic centres, 7 educational service centres, and 1 school — covering Engineering, Applied Sciences, Humanities & Social Sciences, Architecture, Design, and Management. The flagship B.Tech program spans 12 engineering disciplines and admission is through JEE Advanced via JoSAA counselling. Other programs include B.Arch (via AAT), B.Des (via UCEED), Integrated M.Tech, M.Tech (via GATE), MBA (via CAT), M.Sc (via IIT JAM), M.Arch, M.Des, M.Plan, and PhD. The total tuition fee for the 4-year B.Tech program is approximately INR 8 to 8.9 Lakhs. In NIRF Rankings 2025, IIT Roorkee secured the 6th rank in Engineering, 7th in Overall, 1st in Architecture, and 8th in both Research and Innovation categories. Internationally, it is ranked 339th in QS World University Rankings 2026 and 141st globally in QS Engineering and Technology Rankings 2026. It was ranked 335th in QS 2025. The Mahatma Gandhi Central Library — one of the finest in India — holds over 3.5 lakh documents including a rare 1623 edition of Shakespeare's complete works, 15,000+ current e-journals, 2 million theses and dissertations, and 35,000+ e-books. The institute has a strong placement record managed by its Central Placement Cell. In the 2024 placement season, 261 companies visited the campus, generating 938 full-time offers and 213 PPOs. The highest international package was INR 2.05 Crore (offered by Databricks) and the highest domestic package was INR 1.50 Crore. The overall average package across all programs was approximately INR 20 LPA. For B.Tech CSE, the average package was INR 34.07 LPA. The MBA batch recorded a 100% placement rate with the highest package of INR 26 LPA and average of INR 18.3 LPA. Top recruiters include Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Adobe, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Oracle, Qualcomm, Schlumberger, Uber, American Express, and Texas Instruments. The campus hosts 16 hostels (10 boys, 2 girls, 1 co-ed, and 9 for married/doctoral students), named 'Bhawans', all with Wi-Fi, cybercafes, canteens, gyms, and indoor game facilities. Sports facilities include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, five international-standard tennis courts, three outdoor basketball courts, five squash courts, cricket pitches with floodlights, a football field, a hockey field, and a modern gymnasium. Student life is enriched by major annual festivals including Thomso (cultural), Cognizance (technical), and Kshitij (sports), along with the Entrepreneurship Cell and numerous technical and cultural clubs. IIT Roorkee is truly a living legacy — bridging India's colonial engineering heritage with 21st-century research excellence.