Founded in 1950, IIT Kharagpur has grown to 19 departments, 7 centres and 9 schools, providing instruction to about 3,400 undergraduate, 1,600 postgraduate students, and 1,400 research scholars. The teaching community comprises nearly 500 faculty and 1,270 non-academic staff. The motto "Yoga Karmashu Kaushalam" — Excellence in action is Yoga — reflects the institute's commitment to perfection in every endeavour. IIT Kharagpur, the oldest, largest and most diversified IIT, has over 60 years of excellence and an impressive list of alumni who have made significant impacts across academia, industry and society.

IIT-KGP has a long and historic legacy of alumni giving back. The Graduating Class Gift is yet another chapter in this legacy, initiated under the My Imprint Program — a class-based effort directed towards raising unrestricted funds for student services. This challenge offers seniors the chance to leave behind their imprint, impacting student life on the KGP campus as part of being soon-to-be alumni.

Technology Students' Gymkhana is the hub of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities at IIT Kharagpur, ranging from sports to socio-cultural events. From its inception in 1952, the Gymkhana has played a key role in everyday campus life, cultivating and nurturing extra-curricular talents. Managed by students, for students, under the guidance of faculty and staff.

Two large grounds — Tata Sports Complex and Jnan Ghosh Stadium, both with floodlighting — allow practice at any hour. Facilities include cricket, football, basketball, lawn tennis, table tennis, and a large swimming pool. Inter-hall, inter-college and inter-IIT competitions are held throughout the year, alongside an annual sports fest open to students from across India.

B C Roy Technology Hospital, located centrally on campus, provides 24×7 primary healthcare including curative, preventive and health promotion services. The facility has 32 beds including a 2-bed ICU, cabins and isolation ward, serving the entire campus community. A dedicated Students Counselling Centre also supports the mental wellbeing of students.

The campus contains all modern facilities for residents — Tech Market and shop clusters, branches of three banks with 9 ATM machines, eCorners of four banks, a large post office with ATM, four schools including Kendriya Vidyalaya, restaurants, guest houses and more.

The IIT Kharagpur campus fits the description of an old Indian ashram with countless trees, green fields, birds, amazing lakes and beautiful gardens. Several parks and play areas dot the landscape. The vast expanse and pure air provide an ideal setting for the pursuit of knowledge.

Festivals and celebrations take place throughout the year. Spring Fest — now in its 55th edition — is the annual social and cultural festival celebrating the true spirit of youth. Kshitij, the annual techno-management fest and the largest of its kind in Asia, invites students globally to compete across 40+ events. The department's own fest, Composit, is a highlight of the academic calendar.

Spread over 2,100 acres, IIT Kharagpur houses nearly 10,000 students in 21 Halls of Residence (16 boys, 5 girls). Patel Hall (1952) is the first IIT hostel in India. Each hall offers High Speed LAN, Wi-Fi and 24-hour electricity. Attached canteen facilities and inter-hall competitions make campus life vibrant and enriching.

The Central Research Facility (CRF) provides shared research infrastructure across around 25 specialised laboratories. These are managed by different faculty and are accessible to students and researchers across all departments.

The Computer and Informatics Centre (CIC) provides network services, computational services and lab services campus-wide. High-end servers, advanced software (AutoCAD, MATLAB, Mathematica) and five dedicated PC labs are maintained. State-of-the-art seminar and conference halls support academic events throughout the year.