IIT Madras »About Landmarks

Landmarks

About IIT Madras » Landmarks

1956 Visit of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to West Germany and the offer made to him by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany to assist in the setting up of a higher technological institute in India.
1958 The signing of the first Indo-German agreement in Bonn, West Germany for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology at Madras.
1959 Formal inauguration of the Institute by Prof.Humayun Kabir, Union Minister for Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs, Dr.A.Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar assumes office as the first Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Institute. Prof.B.Sengupto assumes office as the first Director of the Institute. Commencement of the first Indo-German agreement (providing for the services of German Professors and foremen, training facilities for 20 Indian faculty members in German Institutes and the supply of scientific and technical equipment for the establishment of the Central Workshop and 20 laboratories at IIT Madras).
1961 Declaration of the Institute by the Parliament of India as an institution of National importance.
1962 Visit to the Institute by Dr.Heinrich Lubke, President of the Federal Republic of Germany and the unveiling of a tablet symbolising the Indo-German technical assistance programme.
1967 Dr.A.Ramachandran takes over as Director from Prof.B.Sengupto.
1969 Sri H.V.R.Iyengar takes over as Chairman, Board of Governors from Dr.A.L.Mudaliar.
1972Sri K.T.Chandy, Chairman, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation succeeds Sri H.V.R.Iyengar as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Institute.
1973Inauguration of The Industrial Consultancy Centre of the Institute by Sri C.Subramaniam, Minister for Industrial Development and Science and Technology, Government of India. Dedication of the Digital Computer (IBM System 370 Model 155) at the Institute. Dr.K.A.V.Pandalai succeeds Dr.A.Ramachandran as the Director of the Institute.
1974Eleventh Convocation Address by Shrimati Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India. Commencement of the Fourth Indo-German Agreement whose principal features are : the setting up of inter-university partnership in R & D projects, strengthening of the industrial consultancy service and establishment of a post-graduate program in television engineering. Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Dr.Erhard Eppler, West German Minister for Economic Co-operation at the special convocation held on 17-11-1973.
1975Introduction of the Employees Welfare Scheme and of Programme of Refresher and special training courses for class III and IV staff. Commencement of the evening DIIT courses in the city office of the Institute for the benefit of engineers in and around Madras.
1976Agreement with France for collaboration and assistance to the Aeronautics Department.
1977Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science(honoris causa) on Dr.John Bardeen, Nobel Laureate in Physics at the special Convocation held on 21-01-1977.Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Mr.Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs,Federal Republic of Germany, at the special convocation held on 22-04-1977.Prof.R.G.Narayanamurthi succeeds Dr.K.A.V.Pandalai as the Director of the Institute.
1978Sri A.M.M.Arunachalam ,Chairman and Managing Director of T.I. Cycles of India succeeds Sri K.T.Chandy as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Institute.
1979Dr.P.V.Indiresan succeeds Prof.R.G.Narayanamurthi as Director of the Institute. Introduction of the Credit System of Education for B.Tech programmes. Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Prof.B.Sengupto, the first Director of the Institute, at the convocation held on 20-9-1979.
1980Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Technology (honoris causa) on Dr.A.Ramachandran, Under Secretary General, United Nations, Executive Director, UN Centre for Human Settlement(HABITAT) Nairobi, Kenya and a former Director of the Institute at the convocation held on 22-8-1980.
1981Commnecement of the fifth Indo-German Agreement whose principal features are : continuation of the inter-university partnership projects, strengthening of the micro-processor laboratory, low-temperature laboratory and high polymer laboratory and continuation of exchange visits. Sri A.Sivasailam, Chairman, Amalgamations Limited, Madras succeeds Sri A.M.M.Arunachalam as Cahirman of the board of Governors of the Institute. Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Prof. Satish Dhawan, formerly Chairman, Space Commision and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Space.
1982Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Prof.M.G.K.Menon, Member, Planning Commission.
1983Institute's Silver Jubilee Year celebrations.(July 31,1983 to July 30 1984). Twentieth convocation address by President Giani Jail Singh. Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science(honoris causa) on Dr.Raja Ramanna, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission.
1984Twenty first convocation addressed by Swami Ranganathananda. Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Dr.S.Varadarajan, Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Science and Technology, and Director Genaral, CSIR. Dr.L.S.Srinath succeeds Dr.P.V.Indiresan as Director of the Institute.
1985Twenty second convocation addressed by Prof.E.C.G.Sudarshan, Director, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Madras. Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Prof.G.N.Ramachandran, INSA Albert Einstein Professor, IISc. Bangalore.
1986Twenty-third convocation addressed by Dr.C.N.R.Rao, Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
1987Twenty-fourth convocation addressed by His Excellency, Mr.Guenthel Schroeder, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany.
1988Twenty-fifth convocation addressed by Dr.V.S.Arunachalam, Scientific Advisor to the Minsiter of Defence, Government of India. Handing over of the Siemens 7580-E Computer Systems by His Excellency Mr.Haus Klein, Minister for Economic Co-operation, Federal Republic of Germany.
1991Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Dr.Richard von Weizsacker, President, Federal Republic of Germany at the special convocation held on 4-March-1991.
1997Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Dr.M.S.Swaminathan at the convocation held on 26-7-1997.
1998Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Prof. Reimar Lust, President, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany.