How was IIT Bombay set up?

A high-power committee of Govt. of India recommended in 1946 establishment of four higher institutes of technology of the level of their counterparts in Europe and United States to set the direction for the development of technical education in the country. These institutes were designed to provide the necessary dynamism and flexibility of organization in the light of expanding knowledge and changing socio-economic requirements of modern society.

Planning for the Institute at Bombay began in 1957 and the first batch of 100 students was admitted in 1958. The Institute campus at Powai extends over 200 hectares and is situated in picturesque surroundings with Vihar and Powai lakes on either sides and green hills strewn around. ]

In 1961, by an act of Parliament, the Institute was declared an institution of national importance and was accorded the status of a university with power to award its own degrees and diplomas.

IIT Bombay was established with the cooperation and participation of the UNESCO, utilizing the contribution of the Govt. of USSR. The Institute received substantial assistance in the form of equipment and expert services from USSR through the UNESCO from 1956 to 1973. The Institute received several experts (59) and technicians (14) from several reputed institutions in the USSR. The UNESCO also offered a number of fellowships (27) for training of Indian faculty members in the USSR.

Under the bilateral agreement of 1965, the USSR Govt. provided additional assistance to supplement the Aid Program already received by the Institute through UNESCO.

Objectives and Goals:
The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay seeks to establish traditions which will foster creativity and growth of excellence. The institute has the following broad objectives :
To provide the best possible educational facilities for training bright students for the careers in technology and science.
To provide a creative atmosphere in which higher studies and research thrive both amongst the students and the faculty.
To organize a short intensive courses, conferences and seminars on current technological developments which will be of benefit to the surrounding community.
To provide research and development consultancy which will promote contact with and be of service to industries and to government and Civic Organizations.
To organize quality improvement programmes for faculty members from various engineering colleges.
To provide leadership in curriculum design and development.

The Institute cherishes the hope that its graduates will be the leaders of tomorrow. Their education is patterned with this in view. Thus in the engineering curriculum, besides the professional courses, there is a strong emphasis on acquiring a thorough grounding in the basic sciences of mathematics, physics and chemistry and a reasonable knowledge in subjects like economics, english, philosophy and social sciences belonging to the Humanities and Social Science. The emphasis on the basic sciences removes to some extent the fear of rapid obsolescence, while studies in the Humanities help the students to interact more positively with the society in which he lives. Besides making available facilities for higher education, traning and research in various fields of engineering and technology, the Institute contributes to the industrial development and economic growth of the country by preparing a cadre of engineers and scientists, who provide both man power and support R&D work for industries.