 Founded in 1959 with technical and financial assistance from the former government of West Germany, it was the third IIT that was established by the Government of India.IIT Madras has been ranked as the top engineering institute in India for four years in a row (2016–2019) by the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.IIT Madras is a residential institute that occupies a 2.5 km² (617 acre) campus that was formerly part of the adjoining Guindy National Park.