Meaningful growth of an Institution depends on the kind of commitment it has made to the society at large. Benefits of academic excellence cannot remain restricted to the boundaries of the academic wall. Today IIT Kanpur has a supreme role in providing leadership that addresses societal concerns. As part of our social responsibility, we want to share our expertise with fellow academic institutions across the country and abroad. Towards this goal, we have initiated an Outreach Education Program. Under this scheme, using the VSAT transmission technology, we are providing lecture courses in the area of engineering and biological sciences to the college and university students in the State of Chhattisgarh . IIT Kanpur is promise bound to transmit some advanced courses to the students of newly founded Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Management (PDPMIIITDM), Jabalpur . IIT Kanpur is also participating in a new project, known as Indo-French Cyber University This will foster international collaboration in the areas of emerging technologies. The program will include transmission of courses between IIT-Kanpur and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie ( Paris ). The courses will be taught in English to the advanced Master's students in both countries by the French and Indian professors.

IIT Kanpur is also participating in the National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) sponsored by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Knowledge grows faster when shared. The NPTEL (National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning) is an initiative of the MHRD to promulgate quality education among the Engineering Colleges of the country through the Video and Web-based learning material in some of the popular disciplines. In particular, MHRD wants to monitor the standard of Engineering Education in many colleges where well-trained faculty members are not available in many subjects. The task is bivalent in nature. On one hand, the standards of the colleges are to be uplifted, while on the other hand the courses have to be acceptable to the end users. Seven IITs and IISc Bangalore are the major players in this endeavor. The courses prepared at IIT Kanpur, are being transmitted through the educational TV Channel, Eklavya on regular basis. These courses have earned appreciation form a wide range of learners.

IIT Kanpur earnestly believes that every Institute of National Importance has an obligation to render necessary service to the country in a crisis. Our country is prone to large earthquakes, and we need to contain the risks this involves. A trained manpower development programme for earthquake risk mitigation, known as NPEEE (National Programme on Earthquake Engineering Education), has been instituted by the Government of India. IIT Kanpur is the nodal agency for the entire gamut of NPEEE activities. The enthusiastic faculty members of the Institute have made enormous contribution in the Earthquake Engineering Education in the country. Their work in the Andaman Islands during the Tsunami calamity deserves deep appreciation.