IIT Roorkee Hailed as Asia’s First Engineering College and Role Model at Convocation
Dr Jitendra Singh delivers the convocation address at IIT Roorkee campus in Uttarakhand on Friday.
Roorkee, September 6: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the PMO Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday hailed IIT Roorkee, founded in 1847, as Asia’s first engineering college and a role model that blends research, innovation, and societal engagement. He was delivering the convocation address as chief guest at the institute’s campus in Uttarakhand.
Legacy and Rankings
Tracing IIT Roorkee’s history from its origins as the University of Roorkee, Dr Singh noted its evolution into an IIT as a natural progression reflecting its academic stature. He highlighted that the institute had secured the sixth position in the latest National Institutional Framework (NIF) rankings, and has won accolades including the CII’s Most Innovative Institute Award for four consecutive years and the Gatishakti Achiever Award for Excellence of Women in STEM.
Focus on the Himalayas and Emerging Disciplines
With its geographical advantage, Dr Singh urged IIT Roorkee to spearhead Himalayan studies, ranging from disaster management and resilience-building to developing an “aromatic economy” through high-value crops like lavender. He underscored that the next industrial revolution will be biotechnology-driven, encouraging the institute to expand into biotechnology and regenerative sciences while maintaining its core strengths in civil engineering and disaster risk reduction.
Startup Ecosystem and Industry Linkages
Applauding the institute’s nearly 240 startups, the minister said they reflect IIT Roorkee’s strong contribution to India’s third-ranked global startup ecosystem of 1.7 lakh ventures. Notably, 50% of these startups originate from smaller towns, demonstrating the democratisation of opportunities. Dr. Singh called for early industry linkages, stronger public-private partnerships, and a startup mindset, urging graduates to move beyond reliance on traditional jobs and embrace innovation-led enterprises.
National Achievements and Opportunities
Citing India’s successes in vaccine development, space exploration, and global innovation rankings, Dr. Singh stressed the importance of collaboration between government, academia, and private industry. He highlighted recent initiatives like the Purple Revolution in lavender cultivation and new Bio-E³ policies (employment, environment, economy) as examples of how research and industry can converge to create jobs and drive growth.
Inspiring the Graduates
“You are born in the best of times,” Dr Singh told the graduating batch. “Your destiny has given you this providential privilege, and I am sure you will make the best of the opportunities that India offers today.”
The ceremony was attended by Board of Governors Chairperson Dr BVR Mohan Reddy, Director Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Deputy Director Prof. UP Singh, senior faculty, and graduating students.
