About NITs

National Institutes of Technology

The National Institutes of Technology (NITs) constitute a network of engineering institutes in India, numbering thirty in total and distributed across major states and territories. Originally established as Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs), they were initially under the jurisdiction of respective state governments. However, a significant development occurred in 2002 when a parliamentary legislation brought NITs directly under the federal government's oversight. Subsequently, in 2007, the Indian government elevated their status by declaring them as Institutes of National Importance, placing them on par with the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

A distinctive feature of NITs is their commitment to fostering regional diversity and multicultural understanding within India. In pursuit of this objective, NITs follow a specific admission policy wherein 50% of the student intake in each batch is sourced from the respective state of the NIT, and the remaining 50% is selected from the rest of India based on a common merit list. This stands in contrast to the admission criteria of IITs, where no specific quota is allocated to any region, and selection is solely based on performance in an entrance examination.

NITs offer comprehensive degree programs at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels across various branches of engineering and technology. Notably, national college surveys consistently rank most NITs above other engineering colleges in India, with the exception of the IITs and a select few institutions. Similar to IITs, NITs operate autonomously, allowing them to independently design and adapt their curriculum to align with evolving industry needs. Admission to undergraduate programs at NITs, open to both Indian and foreign nationals, is facilitated through the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main, a standardized entrance test.