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Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi (IIT-BHU), formerly known as Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU), is an IIT located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded in 1919 as part of the Banaras Hindu University, it was designated an Indian Institute of Technology in 2012. IIT -Varanasi has 13 departments and three inter-disciplinary schools.

IIT-BHU has a residential and co-educational campus within the larger BHU campus which is spread over nearly 1,300 acres (5.3 km²) at the southern end of Varanasi on the banks of the River Ganges. In 1971, three faculties of BHU viz., Banaras Engineering College (BENCO), College of Mining & Metallurgy (MINMET) and College of Technology (TECHNO) were merged to form the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU). IT-BHU was designated as an IIT by The Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 2011 which was passed by the Lok Sabha on 24 March 2011 and by the Rajya Sabha on 30 April 2012. The President signed the Bill on 20 June 2012 and was notified in the Gazette of India on 21 June 2012.

IIT-BHU was formerly known as the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU). Its establishment is intimately linked with that of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). The first convocation ceremony at BHU was held on 19 January 1919. The Chancellor of the University, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar of Mysore who had come to preside over and address the convocation, performed the opening ceremony of the Banaras Engineering College (BENCO) Workshop buildings.^[2] An Artisan Course was started on 11 February 1919. The Department of Geology was started under BENCO in 1920. Courses in Mining and Metallurgy were introduced by the Geology Department. The Department of Industrial Chemistry was started in July 1921. In 1923, Mining and Metallurgy was established as a separate department and in 1944 it was raised to the status of a college forming the College of Mining and Metallurgy (MINMET).^[2]

BHU was the first Indian university to introduce the study of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.^[2] This initiative was taken in 1932 when a new group of subjects for the B.Sc. Examination consisting of (a) Chemistry, (b) Botany with Pharmacognosy and (c) Pharmaceutical Studies was started in 1934 and in 1935 a new three year programme leading to the degree of Bachelor of Pharmacy was introduced. The science departments of the University were under the Central Hindu College. In September 1935, a new College of Science was constituted comprising the departments of Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Geology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry and Ceramics. In 1937, the Department of Glass Technology also came into existence under this college. The year 1939 witnessed the establishment of a separate College of Technology (TECHNO) comprising the departments of Industrial Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Ceramics and Glass Technology.^[2]

In 1968, BENCO, TECHNO and MINMET were merged into one and the Institute of Technology (IT-BHU) was established integrating the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil and Municipal Engineering, Mining Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Technology, Silicate Technology and Pharmaceutics. The Department of Silicate Technology subsequently became the Department of Ceramic Engineering. A separate Department of Electronics Engineering was also established.^[2] The departments of Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics and Applied Chemistry were established in 1985.

The earlier system of regional admission based on merit lists was replaced in 1972 by admission through Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) for undergraduate courses and Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) for postgraduate courses.

Committees constituted by MHRD (Professors Joshi and Anand Krishnan Committees^[3]) had recommended for the conversion of the Institute into an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).^[4] On July 17, 2008, the government of India issued a press release granting "In principle approval for taking over the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University – a constituent unit of the Banaras Hindu University, a Central University, its conversion into an Indian Institute of Technology and integrating it with the IIT system in the country."^[5] The BHU Executive Council approved the proposal of the HRD ministry to convert IT-BHU to IIT (BHU) Varanasi, retaining academic and administrative ties to BHU.

On 4 August 2010 a bill seeking to amend the Institutes of Technology Act 1961 to declare IT-BHU an IIT was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for HRD, D. Purandeswari.^[6] Questions were raised on the act from the Standing Committee which were then addressed by the HRD ministry,^[7] the bill was scheduled to be tabled in the Feb-April 2011 Parliament session.^[8]

On 24 March 2011, the Lok Sabha passed The Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 2011 which converted IT-BHU to an IIT.^[9] On 30 April 2012, the Rajya Sabha passed the Act, thereby formalizing the IIT status of the Institute.^[10] The Bill was signed by the President of India on 20 June 2012 and notified in the gazette on 21 June.^[11] The Central Government released a notification on 29 June that as per the Act, the transformation process was complete.^{[citation needed]}

IIT (BHU) Varanasi offers four year instructional programmes for the degree of Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) and Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm). Five year programmes are categorized into the Integrated Dual Degree (IDD) programme and Integrated Master’s Degree (IMD) programme. The IDD programme offers combined B.Tech and M.Tech or alternatively B.Pharm and M.Pharm degrees. Admission to all programmes other than B.Pharm is expressly through the Joint Entrance Examination conducted by the Indian Institutes of Technology.^[12] For B. Pharm, half of the intake is through JEE and the other half through the Pre Medical Test (PMT) conducted by BHU.

An academic year is divided into two semesters each of twenty weeks duration. Each theory and laboratory course has credits assigned to it depending on the number of lectures and laboratory contact hours in a week. A seven-point letter grade (with a specified number of grade points) is awarded in each course. Performance is evaluated on the basis of the number of credits earned and also by the weighted grade point average earned for a course.

Postgraduate courses offer Master of Technology (M.Tech) and Ph.D. degrees. Admissions to the M. Tech programme are made through the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).

Admission for undergraduate students is through Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) for undergraduate courses and Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) for postgraduate courses.

IIT-BHU has 13 departments and 3 interdisciplinary schools. The academic departments at IIT (BHU) Varanasi are:

• Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Ceramic Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electronics Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Metallurgical Engineering
  • Mining Engineering

• Sciences
  • Applied Chemistry
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Applied Physics
  • Pharmaceutics

• Interdisciplinary Schools
  • Biochemical Engineering
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Material Science and Technology

The departments of Metallurgical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Mining Engineering and Chemical Engineering have been recognized as Centres of Advanced Studies (CAS) by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India. The Department of Metallurgical Engineering was the first engineering department in India to be thus recognized. The departments are supported under the FIST, SAP and DST schemes of the Government of India.

Malaviya Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (MCIIE) was established in 2008. The objective of the MCIIE is to produce successful firms that will leave the program financially viable. Incubator tenants not only benefit from business and technical assistance, they also benefit from official affiliation with the incubator, a supportive community with an entrepreneurial environment, direct link to entrepreneurs, and immediate networking and commercial opportunities with other tenant firms.^[14] Programmes under MCIIE include:

• Open Learning Programme in Entrepreneurship (OLPE)
• Entrepreneurship Development and Awareness Programs
• Technology Business Incubator (TBI) sponsored by National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board, DST, New Delhi.
• Techno Entrepreneurial Promotion Program: TePP Out Reach Centre^[15]

IIT (BHU) Varanasi provides on-campus housing to students, research scholars and faculty members. Students are required to live in one of the 11 hostels throughout their stay at the institute. There are nine hostels for male students and two for females.

Technex is the annual technical festival. It has footsteps dating back to 1939. It brings together students from all over the country to participate in the celebration of knowledge and creative extravagance along with experts from the fields of both academia and industry. While events may vary from year to year, generally they include or are based upon software development, model exhibition, paper and poster presentation, astronomy, robotics and general awareness.

Kashiyatra is the annual social and cultural festival. Started in 1982, it has been named Sparsh and Spandan in the past. Indian rock bands Parikrama and Indian Ocean, Indian classical musicians Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Ustad Bismillah Khan, and singers Shubha Mudgal, Shaan, Lucky Ali, Shibani Kashyap and Javed Ali, have performed at Kashiyatra. In 2006, Miss India Earth 2005 Niharika Singh took part in a fashion show organised as a part of it.

Spardha is the annual sports meet in which over 1800 competitors from close to 40 colleges take part. Events include athletics events and games such as cricket, football, hockey, basketball, volleyball, tennis, badminton and kabaddi.

Various Intra-IIT Events, also called IIT Open, are also organized separately by various clubs. They include Fachcha Event (First year Inter-Branch), Jhankaar (Dance Club, Western Music Club and Indian Music Club), Kshitij (Theatre Club), Rhetorica (Lit Club and Quiz Club), etc

Almost of every Department of IIT (BHU) Varanasi organizes a fest of its own in order to promote practical application of classroom knowledge and to bring together students of same branch from different colleges all over India. Some of these fests are internationally acknowledged and attract participation from Europe and US as well.

• Chemical Engineering : Udbhav
• Civil Engineering : Nirmaan
• Computer Engineering : Codefest, Adhyayan
• Electrical Engineering : Prastuti
• Electronics Engineering : Aayam
• Mechanical Engineering : COMET
• Metallurgical Engineering : Anveshan
• Mining Engineering : Mettle
• Pharmaceutical Engineering : Spirit

Kashi Utkarsh is a student-run, non-profit organization working for the alleviation of misery, penury and disease chiefly in the village of Lehartara.

IIT BHU ( Formerly known as IT-BHU) was ranked #6 on Outlook India's Top Engineering Colleges of 2012.^[16]. In India Today's Best Engineering colleges of 2012 it has ranked #7.^[17].

The IITBHU Global Alumni Association (IBGAA) is the official alumni association with Chapters present all over the world. It brings together the alumni, students and faculty of IIT-BHU to come up with projects for the improvement of the institute which can then be implemented collaboratively. Some of the projects by the Association include Wi-Fi connectivity on the campus, a lecture theatre for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, an alumni guest house, and a girls’ hostel.

The IIT-BHU Chronicle is a monthly e-magazine published by the IIT-BHU Global Alumni Association. It was first published in May 2005.^[18] It provides an account of events at the institute as well as notable achievements of members of the alumni community. It also publishes news and articles, sourced from a number of published sources, stating recent developments around the world. The magazine is published around the 25th of each month. It is emailed to over 11,000 alumni, students and faculty of the institute.^[19]

• Krishan Kant, former Vice-President of India^[20]
• Pulickel Ajayan, a pioneering scientist in the field of carbon nanotubes^[21]
• Sandeep Pandey, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee who started the Asha for Education foundation^[22]
• Nikesh Arora, Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer at Google^[23]
• Satyendra Dubey, a former Project Director at the National Highways Authority of India who was murdered after exposing corruption in the Golden Quadrilateral Project ^[24]
• Russi Mody, former CMD of Tata Steel.
• Ram Charan, Global Indian of the year 2010 by Economic Times

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University.

• Official website
• Alumni website