National Institute of Technology – Rourkela (NIT) , formerly known as the Regional Engineering College Rourkela (REC Rourkela), is a publicly funded institute of higher learning for engineering and technology located in the steel city of Rourkela, Orissa, India. It was established in the year 1961 by a joint undertaking of the Government of India and the Government of Orissa

Orissa

Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...

. Today it is one of the 30 National Institutes of Technology

National Institutes of Technology

The National Institutes of Technology , are a group of higher education engineering institutes in India. Comprising thirty autonomous institutes, they are located in one each major state/territory of India. On their inception decades ago, all NITs were referred as Regional Engineering Colleges ...

 in India and has been recognized as an Institute of National Importance

Institute of National Importance

An Institute of National Importance, in India is defined as one which serves as a pivotal player in developing highly skilled personnel within the specified region of the country/state. Institutes on the list are usually supported by the Government of India...

 vide the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007.