HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTE: The Roorkee College was established in 1847 AD as the First Engineering College in the British Empire. The College was renamed as The Thomason College of Civil Engineering in 1854. It was given the status of University by Act No. IX of 1948 of the United Province (Uttar Pradesh) in recognition of its performance and its potential and keeping in view the needs of post-independent India. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, presented the Charter in November 1949 elevating the erstwhile college to the First Engineering University of Independent India.

On the 21st September 2001, the University was declared an institute of national importance, by passing a bill in the parliament, changing its status from University of Roorkee to Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. Thus another jewel was added into the already glittering crown in the History of this Institute.