National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur,earlier known as Regional Institute of Technology was established on 15th August 1960 as a joint venture of Government of India and the Government of Bihar in the chain of REC's (Regional Engineering College) in India with the aim to generate technical graduates of highest standards who could provide technological leadership to the region. It was among the first eight Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs) established as part of the Second Five-Year Plan (1956 - 1961). This was the only REC in the country which was named as RIT (Regional Institute of Technology). Therefore RIT Jamshedpur was actually the REC of undivided Bihar & Jharkhand.