Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology Nagpur (VNIT) is a public technical university located in the central India city of Nagpur, Maharashtra. Established in 1960, the institute is among 31 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) in the country. In 2007, the institute was conferred with the status of Institute of National Importance by the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007 (27 of 2007) of the Parliament of India with all other NITs. Formerly known as Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering (VRCE), the institute is named in the honor of an eminent engineer, planner and statesman Sir M. Visvesvaraya. The Institute awards Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees in engineering, technology, architecture and science for which the entry is through the JEE (Main), GATE, JAM, CSIR-UGC NET, etc. History The institute's history can be traced back to 1947, when the Architecture Department was established by Madhya Pradesh Government. In accordance with the second five-year plan (1956–60) in India, a number of industrial projects were contemplated. The Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs) were established by the central government to mimic the IITs at a regional level and act as benchmarks for the other colleges in that state. For the Western region in the year of 1960, the institute was established under the name Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering (VRCE). It was established under the scheme sponsored by Govt. of India and Govt. of Maharashtra. The college was started in June 1960 by amalgamating the State Govt. Engineering College functioning at Nagpur since July 1956. In the meeting held in October 1962, the governing board of the college resolved to name it after the eminent engineer, planner, and statesman of the country M. Visvesvaraya. The college started functioning in 1960 from camp office in the premises of Government Polytechnic, Nagpur and subsequently an area of about 214 acres was acquired to house an independent Regional Engineering College at present location. vnit Campus The VNIT Nagpur campus is located in the western part of Nagpur city near Ambazari Lake, about from Nagpur Railway Station and from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport. There are three main entrances to the campus: the Main Gate on South Ambazari Road, the Bajaj Nagar Gate and the Yashwant Nagar Gate. The campus has significant green space, and is mostly untouched by the pollution of the rest of the city. The institute has a gymkhana, as well as grounds