Slim in courses
Students at the Haryana institute claim they are satisfied with its facilities
Located on a dusty lane, a few hundred metres from National Highway 21, the 25-acre Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar, is surrounded by hostels and a sports field.
Unlike sister institutes, this IIT offers degrees only in computer science, electrical and mechanical engineering.
It also offers a research facility for a PhD programme. The students are waiting to shift into a bigger campus being built over 525 acres, about five km from this location.
Though the campus is not as vibrant as other IITs, few students complain. “We have everything a good institute should have, except a history,” says Akshat, a mechanical engineering student.
Basic facts
* Opened: August 2009
* Highest rank to gain entry this year in the general category: 1339
* Lowest rank to gain entry this year in the general category: 4092
* Seats: 120 seats, 113 took admission this year, 7 seats are vacant
* Previous years’ vacancies: 6 in 2010, 4 in 2009
* Faculty: 50. No vacancies
* Students: 490; 450 men, nearly 40 women
* Teacher-student ratio: 1:9
Infrastructure
* Campus: A temporary three-storey structure
* Hostels: Five — four for men and one for women
* Labs: 18
* Sports facilities: The college has a field for hockey, cricket and football each, along with tennis and basketball courts.
* Placements: Microsoft recently offered three students an annual pay package of Rs 10 lakh. Twenty companies are expected to visit soon.
Student life
The annual festival Zeitgeist, held in November, drew students from across the IITs. The sports club won four medals in a weightlifting IIT contest.
