One of the top engineering schools in India is the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). These institutions are known for their rigorous curriculum, world-class faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities. Every year, lakhs of students take their entrance exams, but only a select few are accepted into these prestigious institutions. But, there are also some fascinating and less well-known facts about IITs that many people may need to be aware of.

IITs also have a strong reputation for producing successful graduates. Many of their alums have become industry, academic, and government leaders. Many of the top executives at major technology companies and leading venture capitalists are IIT graduates. Here are the 15 interesting facts about the IITs you didn't know.

• The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are a group of prestigious engineering schools in India that was established in the 1950s. The establishment of these institutions was based on the recommendations of a committee called the Sarkar Committee. The committee was chaired by a prominent educationist named N. G. Ranga was tasked with making recommendations for the development of technical education in India.
• The Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Act was passed by the Indian Parliament in 1961. The act provided for the establishment of IITs as institutions of national importance. Five IITs had already been established and were fully operational before the show was passed. These five institutes were located in Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur, and Delhi.
• The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are a group of premier technical institutions in India that the government funds. The IITs receive a grant from the government each year to support their operations and activities. The grant amount is typically around 100-200 million INR (Indian Rupees) per year per IIT.
• When the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were first established, there was no entrance examination. Instead, students were given admission based on their performance at the school level and an interview conducted by the institute.
• The first group of students to attend the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) were only male students and were all among the top-performing students in their universities.
• In the year 1981, a woman who studied metallurgy graduated from one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), and it was also the first year that a female student was admitted to the Mechanical Engineering course at IIT Bombay. Before 1981, women had yet to graduate from IIT in metallurgy, and no girl had been admitted to mechanical engineering courses at IIT Bombay.
• The Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Bombay has created with assistance from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the former Soviet Union. This means that UNESCO and the Soviet Union provided financial or technical support to establish IIT Bombay.
• The roof of Dogra Hall, a building located at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi, is a type of architectural structure called a hyperbolic paraboloid. It also states that the roof is supported only at the two ends, meaning it is not supported in the middle. This type of structure is known for its unique shape and double-curved surface that can be used in roofing and other architectural designs. It's a self-supporting structural system that requires minimal support at the end.
• Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has an airstrip used by students studying Aeronautical Engineering. IIT Kanpur has a runway or landing strip used to train or practise aeronautical engineering students. 
• Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Kanpur was created as part of the Kanpur Indo-American Programme, a collaboration between nine American universities. This means that the establishment of IIT Kanpur was not solely done by the Indian government but also with the help of a group of American universities that came together to establish the institution.
• Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Madras is located on a large land previously part of the Guindy National Park. It also mentions that a significant portion of the campus still has a protected forest area, home to endangered species such as the Chital, a type of deer commonly found in India. 
• Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Roorkee is said to have a campus with the highest internet speed in India, which is much faster than the average internet speed in the world. It also states that it is around six times faster than the average internet speed in India. 
• Students from more than 50 nations apply for admission to IIT Roorkee each year thanks to the university's numerous partnerships with various international institutes.
• IIT Kharagpur features a steel tank with a 10,000 imperial gallon storage capacity that can be used in an emergency.
• The staff residence at IIT Kharagpur was given the nickname "Bomb House" since the British used to keep bombs there during World War II.