Hangar of Defence Department of the British
The Convocation Hall at Roorkee often leaves people wondering why a hangar was built in the middle of the campus. To understand this, we need to look back to World War II. When the war began, the British government’s Defence Department tried to take over Roorkee College and transform it into a military engineering college to train officers and technicians. Thankfully, the government of the United Provinces rejected this proposal but agreed to provide facilities for training military and paramilitary personnel. From 1941 to 1947, military activities took place at the college, and in 1943, a School of Military Engineering was established. During this time, the military built several structures, including a large hangar to accommodate their personnel and equipment. After the war, this hangar was converted into the Convocation Hall.
