Indian Institute of Technology - IIT Madras

About Indian Institute of Technology - IIT Madras

Indian Institute of Technology Madras, is one among the foremost institutes of national importance in higher technological education, basic and applied research. The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras is an autonomous statutory organization functioning within the Institute of Technology Act.It all began in 1956, when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, was on an official visit to West Germany and was offered assistance by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, to set up a higher technological institute in India. This resulted in the signing of the first Indo-German Agreement in Bonn in 1959, for the establishment of an Indian Institute of Technology at Madras. The first Indo-German Agreement provided for the services of German professors and 5 foremen, training facilities for 20 Indian faculty members and the supply of scientific and technical equipment for the establishment of the Central Workshop and 20 laboratories at IIT Madras. The Institute was formally inaugurated in 1959 by Prof. Humayun Kabir, Union Minister for Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs. The IIT system has seven Institutes of Technology located at Kharagpur (estb. 1951), Mumbai (estb. 1958), Chennai (estb. 1959), Kanpur (estb. 1959), Delhi (estb. 1961), Guwahati (estb. 1994) and Roorkee (estb. 1847, joined IITs in 2001).

IIT Madras is a residential institute with nearly 460 faculty, 4500 students and 1250 administrative & supporting staff and is a self-contained campus located in a beautiful wooded land of about 250 hectares. It has established itself as a premier centre for teaching, research and industrial consultancy in the country. The Institute has fifteen academic departments and a few advanced research centres in various disciplines of engineering and pure sciences, with nearly 100 laboratories organised in a unique pattern of functioning. A faculty of international repute, a brilliant student community, excellent technical & supporting staff and an effective administration have all contributed to the pre-eminent status of IIT Madras. The campus is located in the city of Chennai, previously known as Madras. Chennai is the state capital of Tamil nadu, a southern state in India. The Institute offers undergraduate and post - graduate programmes leading to the B.Tech., M.Sc., M.B.A., M.Tech., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in a variety of specialisations.

Location  - IIT Madras is situated on Sardar Patel Road and is flanked by Adyar, Taramani and Velachery. The campus is opposite to the Central Leather Research Institute and Anna University. The campus is spread over 250 hectares of lush green forest, which is midway between the Chennai Airport and Central Railway station, and is well connected by buses and local trains. Location Map

Transportation - IT is around 12 km from Chennai Central Railway Station. Important Landmarks are landmarks include the Guindy Snake Park near the IIT main gate and the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) campus opposite the IIT campus. If you have luggage, an auto-rickshaw or taxi would it would be the most comfortable option. The fare will be about Rs. 120 for an auto-rickshaw and Rs. 250 for a taxi. If you arrive at Egmore Station, you could take buses to IIT, Gandhi Mandapam or Adyar from where there are number of buses to the IIT. Current auto- rickshaw and taxi fares from Egmore are approximately Rs.100 and Rs.200 respectively.

The campus is around 14 km from the Central Railway station. Adyar is the nearest bus terminus to the campus. The Institute in itself is located around 2.5 km inside the campus. Two parallel roads, Bonn Avenue and Delhi avenue, lead you through the residential zone, under a canopy of green, to Gajendra Circle (otherwise called GC) and the administrative block. Buses ply between the gate and other locations on campus at regular intervals. Named after mountains, the IITM buses take you to the GC, academic zone and hostels (named after rivers) for a nominal fare.

Departments

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Applied Mechanics.
• Biotechnology.
• Chemical Engineering.
• Civil Engineering.
• Computer Science and Engineering.
• Electrical Engineering.
• Engineering Design.
• Mechanical Engineering.
• Metallurgical and Materials Engineering.
• Ocean Engineering.
• Chemistry.
• Mathematics.
• Physics.
• Humanities & Social Sciences.
• Management Studies.

Facilities

Hostels - The IIT Madras being a residential institute, provides accommodation to all its students in 13 independent hostels. Each room in a hostel is provided with a cot, a table, a chair, a bookshelf, and a ceiling fan. A washing machine is available in every hostel for use by the residents. Every hostel is provided with telephones and internet connectivity. Each hostel has a mess which functions for its inmates during the working semester. During the winter and summer vacations, special messes are run for students who are required to stay in the hostels for pursuing academic, sports or cultural activities. In addition to the normal messes, there are 2 large, modern, common mega messes catering to a group of hostels.

Central Library - It has around 2 million books covering all disciplines of science, engineering, technology, humanities & social sciences. The collection comprises printed documents such as books, reports, theses, standards, atlases, patents and journal back volumes. The non-book collections include material like micro fiche/film, audio/video cassettes and CD ROM discs. It has a separate collection of prescribed textbooks under 'Book Bank' for the exclusive use of students. The Central library currently subscribes to around 1,000 scholarly journals in sciences, engineering and humanities. Under the INDEST consortium, the library provides on-line access to a large number of full-text journal databases from various publishers. These e-journals are accessible on intranet to campus users only.

Computer Centre - The centre was established with the objective of providing computational environment for the academic and research community of the institute and also cater to the computational needs of Government organizations, Industries in India and the South East Asian countries. The Centre offers training and software development apart from being a support service for the faculty, students and staff.

NPTEL - National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) is a joint venture by the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The main objective of NPTEL program is to enhance the quality of engineering education in the country by developing curriculum based video and web courses. This is being carried out by seven IITs and IISc Bangalore as a collaborative project. In the first phase of the project, supplementary content for 129 web courses in engineering/science and humanities have been developed. Each course contains materials that can be covered in depth in 40 or more lecture hours. In addition, 110 courses have been developed in video format, with each course comprising of approximately 40 or more one-hour lectures. In the next phase other premier institutions are also likely to participate in content creation.

SAIF - The Sophisticated Analytical Instruments Facility (SAIF), formerly known as RSIC, was established by Department of Science and Technology (DST). This is the first among the seven RSIC's established subsequently by DST. The purpose of establishing these centres is to provide data collection facility from sophisticated analytical equipments to scientific community for their advanced research with nominal charges. The facility has grown into a major centre for spectral measurements, molecular and crystal structure determination and materials characterization. It houses most modern and computer controlled equipments worth more than Rs. 8 crores.

CEC - The Central Electronics Centre (CEC) was set up because of the need for training service engineers for maintaining the electronic equipment and an 18 month training program was thus started.

Schools - There are two schools located inside the campus:

1. Kendriya Vidyalaya IIT - It follows the syllabus prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and comes under the purview of the Central Government of India. The school admits students for Std I to XII.
2. Vanavani Matriculation Higher Secondary School - It is run by the IIT Campus Educational Trust (CET) and follows the Matriculation syllabus of the Tamil Nadu State Government. The school admits students for Std I to XII. It also has a primary school for LKG & UKG and a newly built 'Creche'.

Preparatory Course - One year preparatory course for SC/ST candidates is offered to improve their intake in the B.Tech and Dual Degree programme. Generally 30 to 40 candidates from the non-qualified candidates list in the ranking order of JEE are taken. In addition to the Preparatory Course for SC/ST candidates, Physically Disable (PD) candidates are also allowed to undergo the preparatory course from the year 2009. The joint Admission Committee finally decides the admission of these students. In this programme have to undergo courses in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and English for two semesters and successfully complete the courses. On their successful completion, available discipline/branch in the B.Tech / Dual Degree programme will be allotted from the vacancies of that year’s quota for SC/ST/PD candidates. The course is residential. The students are eligible for all concessions during the period of coaching on par with the regular students in the matter of admission to the B.Tech / Dual Degree programmes.

CCE - The Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) coordinates the continuing education programmes of the Institute. Among its activities, it helps in the organization of Continuing Education Programmes aimed at industry as well as short-term Courses under QIP and ISTE, meant for faculty in engineering institutions. Further, the Centre facilitates other programmes such as book writing scheme, continuing education modules for industry and IIT Madras series in Science and Engineering. The Education Technology Cell, established by MHRD for the purpose of creating educational videos and other software of broadcast quality in Science and Technology using the expertise of the faculty and the facilities at IIT, is also associated with this Centre. The Centre is located on the 3rd Floor of the IC&SR Building.

Scholarships and Assistance - Some of these are:

• Institute Merit-cum-Means Scholarship.
• Girish Ready Scholarship.
• Prof. Narasimhan Fellowship.
• AERB Scholarship.

Know more - http://www.iitm.ac.in/scholarships

Student Awards - Some of these are:

• President of India prize.
• Larsen and Tourbo ECC Endowment Medal.
• Coka Parthasarathy Prize.
• Warner Prize.

Know more - http://www.iitm.ac.in/studentawards

Banks - The institute has two banks situated in the campus, State Bank of India and Canara Bank. Both the banks are regular branches in the campus and are housed in separate buildings. Application forms for important national level exams such as JEE, GATE and CAT are sold in these banks.

Research - Research at IIT Madras is nurtured through various academic programmes run by the departments and through sponsored programmes funded by national organizations and the industry. Know more - http://www.iitm.ac.in/research-iitm

COMPTEC - Composites Technology Centre (COMPTEC) is an interdisciplinary centre for carrying out teaching, research, design and development in the field of composite materials and their applications. The facilities include Composite Materials and Composite Structures Laboratories for the development, testing and characterization of composites, a composites workshop for the manufacture of composite products by various mechanized and non-mechanised processes and a computing facility with hardware and programme packages for the analysis and design of composite structures. In addition to the academic programme, the centre provides technical guidance and consultancy to the industries concerned.The industry oriented programmes include product design, product development and quality control testing of composites.

Central Glass Blowing Section - The section is equipped with sophisticated glass and quartz blowing equipments such as horizontal, cum vertical lathe, universal lathe, grinding machine and glass strain deduction apparatus. The unit can undertake jobs to construct high vacuum glass apparatus and other related glass blowing works.On a regular basis the unit is making high vacuum stop-cocks, interchangeable ground glass joints, cryogenic and and high vacuum glass systems and other types of complicated glass and quartz apparatus.

Sports and Recreation - There is a large Gymnasium, a swimming pool, a football field, a tennis court, a hockey field and a cricket stadium. Each year students participate in the Inter-IIT sports meet. Students can join various clubs existing on the campus. These are Music Club, Astronomy Club, Photography club, Literary club, Astronomy club, Hiking Club, Wild-life club, etc.

Medical Facilities - The institute hospital on the campus is well equipped with a dispensary, clinical laboratory and an operation theatre to provide medical care to all the residents round the clock. There are two ambulances to attend to any emergencies. All the students have to register their names at the hospital to avail group medical insurance.

Shopping - The Students' Facilities Centre (SFC) makes available a variety of consumer goods and day-to-day requirements of the students like stationery, toiletries etc. In addition, there is a tailoring shop, a hair cutting saloon, a xerox centre, a telecom centre, and a memorabilia stores selling IIT branded items. There is also a book stall on the campus near the residential zone.

Cultural Activities - A number of literary and social activities take place on the campus through out the year. 'Saarang' is one of the biggest events on the campus every year. In addition, music festivals and other cultural festivals are organized regularly.

CPS - The Central Photographic Section (CPS) has been catering to the photography needs of the institute faculty, students and staff. The section undertakes jobs related to photography, processing of black and white films, enlarging and printing, besides slide preparation in black and white and colour. Expertise is also available for making Audiovisual programmes and undertaking consultancy work in photography. The CPS has recently acquired a Digital camera to take digital pictures / photographs of events and activities within the Institute.

Central Workshop - Workshop is an educational platform where science is translated into technology. Central workshop was established to meet with three major production processes, i.e. metal cutting, metal joining and metal forming in various shops. Apart from these shops five more shops were added (mentioned below) in the process of modernizing the workshop training in line with industry to suit industrial requirements.

OAT - The campus has a large open air theatre (OAT) where the film club screens movies every Saturday.

Heritage Centre - The Centre is located on the ground floor of the administration building. It will function as a repository of material of heritage value and historical significance of various facets of the Institute. The exhibits include, photographs, documents, publications, paintings, portraits, products developed and other articles. Information regarding important events, laboratory development, visits of important dignitaries, Indo-German cooperative activities, and academic achievements of faculty and students also are included.

Student Exchange Programmes - The student exchange program permits students of IIT Madras to visit Institutions in Germany, Switzerland and a few other countries. Also students from participating Universities will visit IIT Madras for specific course work or projects. The information given in this section may not be taken to imply that student exchange programs are a permanent feature. The DAAD offers up to 100 "Sandwich-Model" scholarships to post-graduate students registered for a Masters degree at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). The "Sandwich-Model" for Masters students is a multi phased scheme in which candidates carry out their course work and research in India and Germany alternatively, under the supervision of a mentor from the respective Indian Institute of Technology as well as a mentor from a German Technical University (Technische Hochschule, Technische Universitaet). Candidates must be enrolled in the M.Tech programme, or in exceptional cases, highly recommended candidates in the M.S (Research) programme. They must be registered for course work at an IIT according to the regulations of that IIT. Know more - http://www.iitm.ac.in/exchangeprogrammes

Canteens - The campus has a couple of food joints, frequented more perhaps by hostelites looking for a change from hostel grub than the occasional visitor. The Campus Cafe is open from 8.00 A.M. to 8.00 P.M. on all working days including Saturdays. A wide variety of South Indian and North Indian dishes are available. During lunch time Meals are available at very nominal rates. "Basera" located between Godavari and Saraswati hostels is open from 6.00 P.M. to 2.00 A.M. A variety of North Indian dishes are available here.

Bus Transport - The Institute provides Bus transport to facilitate commuting within the campus. There are four regular buses and 10 battery-powered vehicles. These buses are named after mountain ranges & peaks in India. These Buses ply to and fro, every 20-30 minutes between the IN-Gate and Gajendra Circle (GC), Hostel Zone and Department Zone. The Bus-Shed is located near the Staff Canteen.

Prakriti (Wildlife Club) - Prakriti, the Wildlife Club of IIT Madras is a group of wildlife enthusiasts comprising of students, faculty, staff, residents and alumni of IIT Madras. The formation of the club was spurred by a growing recognition of the need to protect the unique biodiversity of the IIT Madras campus. The IIT Madras Campus was carved out of a natural forest that formed part of the Guindy National Park. The Guindy National Park and IIT Campus come under Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest type - the least common vegetation type seen in India. The campus can be considered as an ideal example for the co-existence various types of mini-ecosystems. The main inhabitants of these ecosystems are the blackbuck, spotted deer, jackals, mongooses, monkeys, squirrels, toddy cats, wild cats, various types of reptiles, a plethora of insects including about 40 different species of butterflies and about 100 species of birds. IITM campus also hosts large groups of migratory birds and butterflies every year.

Guest Houses - The Institute has two guest houses within the campus. The guest house near the Admin Building is called the Bose-Einstein Guest House and the guest house in the hostel zone is called the Taramani Guest House. The Bose-Einstein Guest House has altogether 18 A/c Suites with a telephone and a TV in each room. VIPs, Institute guests and invited guests are usually accommodated here. The Taramani Guest House has 83 rooms in total. Out of which 18 are Suites, 29 air-conditioned rooms and 36 non-air conditioned rooms. Housed in an imposing double storeyed building and located at a central place, TGH provides boarding and lodging facilities for the Institute guests and Visitors, newly appointed faculty, staff members, delegates and participants attending various conferences, seminars, symposia and workshops. TGH is operated as a non-profit activity to mainly support the academic and research activity on the campus with a homely atmosphere and ambiance traditionally acclaimed for its environs of hygiene and food of homely relish and richness.

Post Office - The campus has a Post Office and a Telecom Centre. The IIT campus comes under a separate postal zone and it is a postal delivery office. There is a separate Telecom Centre meant for sending telegraphs, fax messages and making long distance telephone calls. The telecom centre is located in the Management Science building near the Library. The post office is located near the State Bank Of India and works on all weekdays from 7.00 A.M. to 5.00 P.M. and from 9.00 A.M. to 2.00 P.M. on Saturdays.

Temples - There are three temples on campus - the Sree Durga Peeli Amman Temple, the Jalakanteswarar Temple and Vinayagar temple.

Campus Placements - The Placement Office is the nodal point of contact for companies to interact with IIT Madras. The Office is well equipped and is designed to smoothly handle and support the placement process at all stages. Infrastructure for pre-placement talks, written tests, group discussions and personal interviews is available.

Quality Improvement Programme - Teachers in engineering institutions get an opportunity to study at IIT under the quality improvement program (QIP). The QIP selections are made centrally and announcement for applications are made each year. Teachers will have to send in their applications through their institutions. The list of applications qualifying for interview / test is drawn up centrally on our all india basis and the teachers will be interviewed at the IIT of choice indicated by them. Qualification in GATE is not a pre condition for selection. Teachers continue to remain as employees of their college during the period of study at IIT. The FIP (Faculty Improvement Program) are similar to QIP but apply to teachers in private engineering institutions. Know more -  http://www.qip.iitm.ac.in

Young Faculty Recognition Awards - In order to encourage excellence in teaching with high quality research, a scheme of awards for young faculty members was introduced in 2006. Two awards for faculty in Engineering Departments ,and one award in the Departments of Sciences, Humanities & Social Sciences and Management Studies are given annually. These awards are known as "Young Faculty Recognition Awards (YFRA)" and will be presented to the recipient on the restricted day.

User-Oriented Programmes - The departments at IIT may be approached by the industry/commercial establishments for specialized programs for specific groups of employees to keep them abreast of the latest developments in the field. Such programs are offered on the basis of a special memorandum signed between the organization and the institute. Full time 4 semesters programs are possible under this scheme. In the past, Larsen and Toubro, the Defence Research and Development Organization, TATA Consultancy Services, Institute of Port Management etc. have benefited from specially tailored User Oriented Programs for their employees. User Oriented Programs are not announced. The organizations should contact the concerned department and initiate dialogues for a subsequent MOU or agreement to run the required program of study.

Alumni - The Alumni act as primary interface from Institute to alumni-at-large, authorizes alumni access to campus facilities, administers Distinguished Alumnus Award program, administers Travel Grant program, etc. Know more - http://alumni.iitm.ac.in/about.html

Achievements

In 2001, Central Electronics Centre received ISO 9001:2000 Quality Certification from RWTV, Germany. This Centre offers Testing and Calibration services in accordance with ISO 17025 guidelines. CEC has received NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accreditation both for its Testing laboratory and Calibration laboratory. Both the laboratories were audited in February 2004 by subject experts, as nominated by NABL.