Indo English School opened on Sunday, 13 January 1974, with three children in a rented building on Power House Road, Rourkela. Its founders — Mr Mihir Baran Mukherjee, a chemist at Rourkela Steel Plant, and Mrs Manju Mukherjee, a mathematics postgraduate from the Regional Engineering College (now NIT Rourkela) — believed that children in this part of Rourkela deserved an education built on discipline, curiosity and care.
The school earned government recognition in [1976 / 1981], CISCE affiliation in 1982, and sent its first ICSE batch to the board exams in 1984. Affiliation for Classes XI–XII followed in 2002, starting with Commerce; the Humanities stream was added in 2025. In 2005 IES took the same idea beyond the city, opening schools in [Bonaigarh and Lahunipara].
Along the way IES became the first in Rourkela to offer [NCC for girls (1998)] and digital classrooms (2009). In 2024 it celebrated its Golden Jubilee with alumni from across the world.
IES is run by a registered society. It is a partner institution under the Government of Odisha's Anwesha scheme, and is recognised under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act and by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to receive CSR contributions.
Milestones
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1974 | Founded with 3 students in a rented building on Power House Road |
| 1978 | Moves into its own premises |
| 1982 | CISCE affiliation; land allotted by the Government of Odisha |
| 1984 | First ICSE batch |
| 1990 | Scouts and Guides unit starts; Cubs and Bulbuls follow in 1993 |
| 1992 | Interact Club founded; computer centre with NIIT; National Literacy Mission work |
| 1998 | [First school in Rourkela] to start NCC for girls |
| 2001 | Hostel opens |
| 2002 | Affiliation for Classes XI–XII; Kalpana Chawla Science Club founded |
| 2004 | First ISC batch (Commerce) |
| 2005 | Schools open in [Bonaigarh and Lahunipara] |
| 2009 | First school in Rourkela with digital classrooms |
| 2015 | New Class I section for students under the Anwesha scheme |
| 2019 | Smart TVs in every classroom |
| 2023 | Golden Jubilee Block inaugurated; IES teachers co-author a multilingual wordbook with NIT Rourkela |
| 2024 | Golden Jubilee celebrated with alumni; Alumni Relations Cell; renovated Physics and Biology labs |
| 2025 | ISC Humanities stream; renovated Chemistry lab; MBM Centre of Excellence in Education |
| 2026 | Digital Learning Resource Centre |
Our five beliefs
Education beyond classrooms. Activity-based learning. Stress-free learning. Morality in practice. Inclusive education. Read how they shape teaching.