The Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) is one of eight new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
IIT Mandi is a research university located in Kamand Valley, Mandi city in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh and has 132 faculties with 1,655 students enrolled at undergraduate, postgraduate and research level. Currently, the university has 1,141 alumni.
Since its inception the institute has been involved with more than 275 Research and Development (R&D) projects worth more than Rs. 120 crore. In the past 10 years, the institute has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with as many as 11 international and 12 national universities.
History
IIT Mandi's permanent campus (about 14 km from Mandi) is on the left bank of the Uhl River at Kamand and Salgi villages.
The Foundation Stone was laid on 24 February 2009 and the institution was registered as a society in Uttarakhand on 20 June 2009. The first batch of 97 students were admitted in July 2009 with classes starting in IIT Roorkee, the mentoring IIT, on 27 July 2009.
A transit campus at Government Post graduate College, Mandi was handed over by the Himachal Pradesh Government on 16 November 2009.
Timothy A. Gonsalves was the founding Director (15/1/2010-30/6/2020), with R. C. Sawhney, serving as the first Registrar.
The institute became an IIT under The Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 2011, with the intention to expand the reach and to enhance the quality of technical education in the country. The Act was passed in the Lok Sabha on 24 March 2011 and by the Rajya Sabha on 30 April 2012.
The Kamand campus ground-breaking ceremony, to mark the start of construction, was held on 12 April 2012.
On 25 April 2015, IIT Mandi became the first of all the new IITs to completely shift B.Tech. students to its permanent campus in Kamand.
Campus
Having started its journey in 2009 with of grassland on the banks of the river Uhl, away from New Delhi, IIT Mandi has a unique campus in the challenging yet serene Himalayan mountains. The campus is split into two halves: the North and South Campus. Proper communication has been facilitated by the college for students, staffs and faculty for communication between north and south campus.
Sports, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are also of high importance for the institute. In addition to the existing indoor badminton courts, swimming pool, table tennis hall, football and cricket fields and gymnasium, the institute has a pavilion, a hockey ground with kiosk, and tennis, volleyball and basketball courts. The institute has a medical unit in the South campus and a Health Care Center with 3 Medical officers, an ENT specialist, and a Pediatrician, in the North campus. It also includes a Procedure Room, a Minor Operation Theatre and Physiotherapy Center.
The institute has also set up within its campus important support services, such as creches, a botanical garden with a rich diversity of local plants, children's parks, stationery shops, a campus school, canteens, cafes, banks and ATMs, for the convenience of campus residents. Library and book-nooks are also present in both North and South Campus. The auditorium is used for various occasions and programs organised at IIT Mandi.
Green activities
Efficient waste-management practices are held in high priority for the campus. The waste generated at each source is segregated through the active participation of residents. A Bio-gas generator of feed capacity has been installed for the digestion of biodegradable wastes. Sewage Treatment Plants have been set up to ensure that all waste-water generated in the campus gets suitably treated before discharge and reuse. Special efforts have also been put towards the identification of local flora and fauna, and in ensuring that the campus growth continues to be in harmony with them. Future plans include reuse of treated waste-water, development of plant nursery, better segregation and in-house composting.
South Campus
The South Campus is bordered by the Uhl River on the west, Kamand village on the north and Kahra village on the east. IIT Mandi was the first among all the new IITs to shift residential and academic facilities on the main (South) campus. A Faculty and Staff Recreation Club in the South Campus was also inaugurated on 29 October 2016. The master plan for the complete development of the campus is ready and intends to cater for 5000 students, 600 faculty and associated staff.