Here’s how India got its first engineering college – IIT Roorkee

Governor general Thomason. (Photo credit: IIT-Roorkee)

The students were to be trained systematically, but that required proper infrastructure. This led to the foundation of the country’s first-ever engineering college. From Saharanpur, students were shifted to Roorkee. The reasons for the selection of Roorkee as the site were stated in the proposal made by Thomason to the Governor-General on September 23, 1847:

“The establishments now forming at Roorkee, near the Solani Aqueduct on the Ganges Canal, afford peculiar facilities for instructing Civil Engineers. There are large workshops and most important structures in course of formation. There are also a library and a model room. Above all, a number of scientific and experienced officers are constantly assembled on the spot or occasionally resorting thither. These officers, however, all have their appropriate and engrossing duties to perform and cannot give time for that careful and systematic instruction, which is necessary for the formation of an expert Civil Engineer. On these accounts the Lieutenant-Governor would propose the establishment at Roorkee of an institution for the education of Civil Engineers, which should be under the direction of the Local Government in the Education department.”

Another engineering college, now known as College of Engineering, Guindy, was also set-up by the Britishers. However, it was established in May 1794 as a School of Survey and it was only in 1859 that it became the Civil Engineering College under the Madras University.

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Meanwhile, understanding the needs of the officials, on October 19, 1847, Lieutenant R Maclagan was made principal of the Thomason engineering college. Along with him in the subsequent month a headmaster, an architectural drawing master and two Indian teachers were appointed. However, the first student to get admission in the institute was on January 1, 1848. Since there was no building, the classes ran in tents. Now, the campus size has expanded to nearly 365 acres.

Initially, the college started with three departments (at present it has 22 academic departments). The eligibility for the first department was proficiency to read and write English and knowledge of Geometry, Algebra, Mensuration, Plane and Spherical Trigonometry, Conic Sections and Mechanics. The upper age limit was kept at 22 and the department capacity was a maximum of 8 candidates.

The second department was for European non-commissioned officers and soldiers. They need to pass an elementary test in reading, writing, simple drawing and mathematics before admission. The number of admissions was limited to 10 annually. These soldiers were trained to become overseers in the Public Works Department (PWD).

The third department was exclusive for young Indians where the training was limited to surveying, leveling and drawing. The knowledge of arithmetic was must, so was the ability read and write Urdu. Not more than 16 students were allowed to take admissions. Annual examinations were held for all classes and entrance test for admission had started in 1857. These days, admissions are based on the performance of strenuous Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main and Advanced.

IIT Roorkee’s changing logos

Gradually, a small building was built to escape Indian summer but was demolished later. A better accommodation was constructed to serve the needs of the growing number of students. This included two classrooms, a principal’s office and a hall with and four small verandahs.

Even during those days, college had stricter rules. The first expulsion happened in 1885 when two students were caught using unfair means during an examination. No one could enter the mess without properly dressing up (wearing tie was compulsory). Table manners were a must. However, till 1960, the students — mostly from affluent families — had the luxury to bring a servant along with them.

The students were given stipends of either Rs 10 or Rs 5. But they have to shell out residential and mess fee of Rs 50 paise and a tuition fee of Rs 1.5 per month.

Some of the old books in the library: Photo credit: Professor DC Srivastava, IIT Roorkee

The Roorkee College did not limit education to books but focused on extracurricular and recreational facilities as well. They were the first educational institution to introduce squash as a sport in India. Polo was introduced in 1872 and our national game hockey in the following year.

The library was an important part of the institute. Now called Mahatma Gandhi Central Library, it has a collection of some of the rare archives. As per professor DC Srivastava, IIT-R, there were books on engineering and architecture written by European writers. Among them was a French book, published in 1620, on elaborating how churches, museums and other such buildings were constructed.

Apart from these, the library has rare literary books. Like the original edition of William Shakespeare’s most sought-after Comedies, Histories and Tragedies or First folio published in 1623. As per a PTI report, about 230 copies are known to exist that has 36 of his plays published seven years after his death. A copy owned by Oxford University sold for 3.5 million pounds in 2003.

In the visitor’s book in 1949, India’s first Prime Minister Jawarharlal Nehru signed in English, Hindi and Urdu. In the same year, Thomason college was elevated to university status and in 2001 converted into an IIT.

Since the college was the first in this field, most civil engineering projects pre and post Independence were completed by its professors and students. They not only contributed to the development of the country but also turned out to be an asset in averting natural disaster. The Bhakra Nangal dam was constructed under the supervision of IIT-R alumnus AN Khosla (1916 batch).

Inputs from the History of Thomason College of Engineering by K V Mital and professors of IIT-Roorkee