IIT Kharagpur: Loosing its National & International Importance

Sacrifices given by our country martyrs to rejuvenate world's oldest culture got a golden symbol when on August 18, 1951, by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to recognise the Indian technical brain, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) having international importance had been founded near “Hijali Jail”. The idea behind foundation of IIT in Kharagpur was due to giving honour to our freedom fighters as well as its location near most developed industrial city of India i.e. Calcutta (now Kolkata) at that time.
But the flame of torch of honour of this institute is now dimming as compared to other IITs like IITB, IITD, IITK, IITM. If we see IIKGP, it has largest land (around 2,100 acres) among all IITs but most of the part is either undeveloped or left for dumping of waste products.

Take a glimpse on Kharagpur geometrical location. Seashore is hardly 100 km away from here, India’s most mineral rich states i.e. Jharkhand, Bihar & Orissa touching its state border even if West Bengal itself a mineral rich state. It has a good rain fall, cool atmosphere, very large railway network connecting to most Indian cities, situated near NH-6 and world famous seaport i.e. Kolkata hardly 116 KM away from it. But what is going wrong due to which students getting admission in JEE or GATE preferring IITB, IITD, IITM & IITK as compared to IITKGP. Facts are undeveloped city Kharagpur, West Bengal government policies, bad administration, and low fund by government of India whereas it has maximum departments. Then what is the solution? Answer is, if area near IIT Kharagpur (in radius of 5-10 KM) is provided for software or hardcore industries then people will attract due to its geometrical location & slowly high standard society will start to develop. See best example of NOIDA (New Okhala Industrial Development Authority). Earlier there was only few villages but industry got good offer by UP government and slowly society had started to develop. They got international facility by Delhi even if the former who had their land in that region got good money from industries. If we plan in a good manner then it will happen for Kharagpur also. IIT Kharagpur will get directly industry interaction as compared to now (survey: IITKGP has maximum industrial interaction as compared to other IITs). Then within 5 years not IITKGP, Kharagpur city also will have international importance & then perhaps we will able to give “Sachchi Shraddhanjali ” to our country martyrs.

(From my friend Prashant Purwar, M.Tech, SMST at IIT-KGP)