Also known as: IITs (Show more) Indian Institutes of Technology, a group of highly selective engineering and technology institutes in India, with two new campuses added outside India in the 2020s. The acceptance rates of applicants for admission to some of the IITs are known to be lower than those of Ivy League colleges. Governed by the Institutes of Technology Act (1961), these institutes were formed by the government to create a workforce equipped to support India’s economic and social development after it became independent from British rule in 1947. So far, 23 IITs have been established since the first such institute—IIT Kharagpur, which was inaugurated ...(100 of 1724 words) Access the full article Help support true facts by becoming a member. Subscribe today!