Harcourt Butler Technical University

Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU), formerly Harcourt Butler Technological Institute (HBTI), is a premier state technical university in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, offering bachelors, masters, and doctoral programmes in engineering, natural sciences and humanities, as well as masters programmes in computer application (MCA) and business administration (MBA).

HBTU is one of the oldest engineering institutes in the country and holds NAAC A+ accreditation and ISO 9001:2000 certification. Its programmes have autonomous status under the university.

It is the mother institute of the National Sugar Institute (known at its founding in 1936 as the Imperial Institute of Sugar Technology), the Government Central Textile Institute (in 1937), now known as the Uttar Pradesh Textile Technology Institute, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT/K) in 1960, the Glass Institute and Rajkiya Engineering College Mainpuri (also known as Government Engineering College, GEC/M) in 2015. It was also one of the 127 technical institutions in India to receive funding from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) in phase one (2004–2009) of the Technical Engineering Educational Quality Improvement Project – the first World Bank project in higher education in India.

History
The history of Harcourt Butler Technical University dates back to the time of World War I, when there was a growing realization of the need for advancement in science and technology among the people of what was then called the United Provinces, in British India.

The Indian Industrial Commission, 1916–18, at its Nainital meeting proposed the establishment of two engineering institutions — one at Roorkee (at Roorkee, the Thompson College of Civil Engineering was established in 1847 by Colonel Proby Cautley, making IIT Roorkee older than HBTI) and the other at Kanpur. To boost entrepreneurship, accelerate industrial development, create a sound environment for contemporary applied research, and inculcate scientific temper, an institute called Government Research Institute, Cawnpore was launched in 1920. It was housed in the two rooms of what was called Bhoot Wali Kothi. The majestic old building still stands at the northwest corner of the Company Bagh crossing, near Nawabganj. Dr H.E. Annett, then the Principal of the Opium Research Laboratory, Cawnpore, of which the new institute was an adjunct, was appointed as its first head.

On 25 November 1921, the Governor of the United Provinces, Spencer Harcourt Butler KCSI, CIE, formally laid the foundation of the present main (administration) building, while the Government Research Institute at Cawnpoore was rechristened the Government Technological Institute. In 1928, the GTI took the governor's name: Harcourt Butler Technological Institute. Its first principal of Indian nationality was Shri Dattatreya Yashwant Athawale. From 1 September 2016, it was granted university status and renamed Harcourt Butler Technical University, under the state's HBTU Act, 2016.

Academics
HBTU offers a wide variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, awarding Bachelor of Technology (BTech), Master of Computer Applications (MCA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Sciences (MSc), Master of Technology (MTech), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

BTech courses are offered in 13 engineering and technology fields: Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Information Technology, Plastic/Polymer Technology, Food Technology, Oil Technology, Paint Technology, Leather Technology and Biochemical Engineering. Admission is through JEE Main.

MBA and MSc programmes have been offered since the institution's centenary year, 2021. Admission to the MBA programme is through CAT / University entrance exam. Admission to the MCA programme is through NIMCET.

Campuses
The university is in the northern part of the city, near Kanpur Zoo, and less than five kilometres from the Ganga barrage. It is spread across two campuses – the east campus (77 acres), and the west campus (271 acres), roughly 3 km apart. The East Campus includes four female hostels and two male hostels while the West campus has four male hostels.

East Campus (Academic Block)
The academic campus shares a border with the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology's premises.

The main building, inaugurated in 1921, houses the administrative offices, and departments of Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology (four out of five branches), Biochemical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Humanities.

Five buildings house the departments of Computer Science & IT, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Civil Engineering and Leather Technology. It also houses the main library, an auditorium, cafeteria, and the GIIEC Building. Oil Technologist's Association of India's (OTAI) headquarters, Council of Leather Exports' (CLE) central regional office, Paint and Coating Technologist's Association's (PACT) headquarters, Institution of Engineers (India)'s Kanpur Local Centre and Polymer Engineers Technologists Association Headquarters. Garden of Bliss, BE/FT Lawn & Lawn Tennis Court Lawn. Guest House. Medical Centre. Central Bank of India (CBI) branch, and its ATM.

The Central Workshop comprises the Foundry Shop, Welding Shop, Machine Shop, Blacksmithy Shop, Carpentry & Fitting Shop).

The residential provision is four female hostels - Alakhanda Hostel, Mandakini Hostel, Gangotri Hostel and Bhagirathi Hostel, and two male hostels - Shridhracharya Hostel (formerly Lake View Old Hostel) and Ramanujam Hostel (formerly Lake View New Hostel). There are also badminton and tennis courts, football facilities and a cricket ground.

West Campus (Residential Block)
The West Campus features three male hostels - Abdul Kalam Hostel, Visvesaraya Hostel and Raman Hostel, the DBRA 1 and DBRA 2 hostels, Vishwakarma hostel, as well as a gym, community centre, and residential quarters for faculty members and other staff. It offers an SBI ATM and postal facilities, as well as playing grounds for cricket, basketball and volleyball.

Administration
HBTU is a government residential university, administered by:
 * Board of Governors
 * Finance Committee
 * Administrative Committee
 * Building & Works Committee
 * Purchase Committee
 * Academic Committee

The university is headed by the Vice Chancellor (VC), Professor Samsher.

Notable alumni
HBTU alumni are popularly known as Harcourtians. Notable alumni include:


 * Anil Khandelwal, Ex. Chairman and Managing Director, Bank of Baroda
 * Dinesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, IndiaMART
 * Yashvir Singh, MP (2009–2014) from Nagina Lok Sabha Constituency (UP)
 * Anu Garg, Founder, Wordsmith.org
 * Vinay Kumar Pathak, Vice Chancellor Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Uttarakhand Open University, Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University
 * Onkar Singh, Vice Chancellor, Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Uttarakhand Technical University, Dehradun and Founder Vice Chancellor of Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur (U.P.), India
 * Alakh Pandey, Founder Physics Wallah