IIEST, Shibpur
Research university in West Bengal, India

Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur
MottoUttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata
Motto in English
Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached
TypePublic technological research university, Institutes of National Importance
Established24 November 1856; 169 years ago (1856-11-24)
Budget₹202.49 crore (US$24.0 million)
(2023–24)[1]
ChairpersonTejaswini Ananth Kumar
DirectorV. M. S. R. Murthy[2]
VisitorPresident of India
Academic staff
279 (2025)[1]
Students4,179 (2025)[1]
Undergraduates2,872 (2025)[1]
Postgraduates560 (2025)[1]
747 (2025)[1]
Location
Shibpur
,
West Bengal
,
India

22°33′21″N 88°18′20″E / 22.55583°N 88.30556°E / 22.55583; 88.30556
CampusMetropolis
123 acres (50 ha)
Colours    Violet & Gold
NicknameBE college
MascotClock tower
Websitewww.iiests.ac.in
IIEST main entrance in Shibpur, Howrah.

Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur(pronunciationⓘ) (abbr. IIEST Shibpur) is a public technological
research university located at Shibpur, Howrah, West Bengal, India. Founded in 1856,[3] it is one of the Institutes of National Importance funded by the Ministry of Education of the Government of India.[4][5][6] It is regulated by the Council of NITSER.[7][8][9] It is the fourth oldest engineering institute in India.[10][3] In October 2010, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for the conversion of the Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) at Shibpur to India's first Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST). IIEST is a member of the Association of Indian Universities.[11]

History

Bishop's College, Howrah
Directors
  • Ajoy Kumar Ray, 2014–2018
  • Parthasarathi Chakrabarti, 2018–2024
  • Vemavarapu M. S. R. Murthy, 2024–present

The university was founded as the Civil Engineering College on 24 November 1856, in the Writers' Building, Calcutta (now Kolkata).[12][13][14] The college was established as an independent entity in 1880 as Government College, Howrah, on the premises of Bishop's College in Shibpur, Howrah. In 1921, the name of the college was changed to Bengal Engineering College. B.E. College was previously affiliated to the University of Calcutta. At that time, it contained only civil and mechanical engineering departments.[15] Classes used to be held in the Writers' Building. Later, from 1865 to 1869, the college was affiliated to Presidency College, Calcutta. [16] Several other departments were created subsequently over the years, the last among them being that of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics in 2010.

On the recommendation of a UGC Expert committee, the institution was granted the status of a Deemed University in 1992 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.[17]

In November 2003, the Government of India formed the S K Joshi Committee, aimed to identify engineering colleges for potential upgradation to IIT level, shortlisting seven institutions, including Bengal Engineering College.[18][19]

On 1 October 2004, the institution was conferred the status of a full-fledged state university.[20] It was formally inaugurated as Bengal Engineering and Science University by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the President of India, on 13 July 2005.[21]

Post 2010

In October 2010, the Union Cabinet approved the 2006 M. Anandakrishnan committee proposal for the conversion of the Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) at Shibpur to India's first Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST). It was envisioned as an institution of international standards that would produce quality manpower for the strategic sector of the country, as well as research laboratories and quality teachers for institutions of engineering and science education.[22] An amount of ₹ 592.20 crore was earmarked for the project, and it was to be completed over a period of five years.[23]

In March 2014, the institute was conferred the status of an INI and was renamed Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur by the Govt. of India by suitably amending the National Institutes of Technology and Science Education and Research Act, 2007. The conversion process of BESU to IIEST was mentored by IIT Kanpur.[24][25] The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, inaugurated it as IIEST on 24 August 2014.[26][27]

In June 2014, the Govt. of West Bengal appointed IIEST Shibpur as the Mentor Institute for the Indian Institute of Information Technology Kalyani, which was inaugurated in June of the same year.[28][29]

In December 2014, the Institute's founding director Ajoy Kumar Ray, in a sorrowful tone, said, "We have the fund now, but land-space crunch is the biggest problem. We have 121 acres of land with us and we need 100 acres more. Otherwise, the institute's expansion would be pretty critical."[30]

Recent History

In May 2017, the Ministry of AYUSH sanctioned a grant of ₹ 11 crore to establish the Dr. Bholanath Chakroborty Fundamental Research Laboratory on Homeopathy.[31]

In December 2020, the Union Government sanctioned grants for ₹ 130 crore to build a 10-storey hostel facility for 1000 students.[32]

In January 2025, IIEST received a private donation of ₹ 8.6 crore to establish the Center for Water and Environmental Research.[33] It also received ₹ 10 crore to establish the Center of Sustainable Infrastructure Development.[34]

Campus

A master plan proposed along with the existing campus layout was presented. Five new infrastructure projects were planned, and some are ongoing, including a 1000-seat girls' hostel, an academic block, a research and innovation park, and an auditorium and convention hall. The total estimated cost is ₹ 787 crore.[35]

Salt Lake campus

On the Institute's convocation day in December 2024, the Governor announced that IIEST would set up its second campus in Salt Lake, Sector III. The campus will come up on 38.5 kattah of land, which will be used for academia-industry interactions and part-time courses for working professionals.[36]

Organisation and administration

Governance

Like all NITs, the institute follows an organizational structure where the President of India is the ex officio visitor of IIEST Shibpur, at the top of the hierarchy. Directly under the president is the Council of NITSER. Under the Council of NITSER is the Board of Governors of IIEST, Shibpur. The Board of Governors consists of the chairperson, director, and twelve members, which include government, industry, alumni, and faculty representation. The Senate Standing Committee comprises the director, the Secretary to the Senate, deans, department heads, and the registrar. In September 2023, Tejaswini Ananth Kumar was appointed as chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Institution for a period of three years.[37]

The Board of Governors is the apex body, responsible for setting the strategic direction and overseeing the institute's overall performance. This board comprises individuals from academia, industry, and government. Complementing the Board of Governors is the Academic Council, which focuses on academic policies, curriculum development, and the maintenance of educational standards. The council ensures that the institute's programs remain relevant and aligned with the latest advancements in technology and science. Financial management is handled by the Finance Committee, which oversees budgeting, resource allocation, and financial planning.[citation needed]

Departments

Departments of IIEST, Shibpur

Schools

Eight 'schools of excellence' in IIEST are:[38]

Schools of IIEST, Shibpur
  • School of Advanced Materials, Green Energy and Sensor Systems
  • Purabi Das School of Information Technology
  • School of Community Science and Technology
  • School of Disaster Mitigation Engineering
  • School of Ecology, Infrastructure and Human Settlement Management
  • School of Management Sciences
  • School of Mechatronics and Robotics
  • School of VLSI Technology

Centres

Following are the multi-disciplinary centers located in IIEST Shibpur:[39]

  • Center of Healthcare Science and Technology

Academics

The Clock Tower, IIEST

Library

The institute's Ramanujan Central Library occupies 3,000 m2 (32,000 ft2) and houses 158,000 books, 41,000 bound volumes of journals, and a collection of documents, such as patents, standards, technical reports, and pamphlets.[40] The library has old and rare books and journals of the nineteenth century.[41]

Admission procedure

Undergraduate programs to the various engineering disciplines (4-year B.Tech. programs) and architecture (5-year B.Arch. program) are granted via JEE Main, taking 50% students from the home state (West Bengal)[42] and 50% from other states.[43][44] For PG programs, admission is through the GATE for M.Tech. courses and the Joint Admission Test for Masters for MSc. programs in Physics, Chemistry, Applied Mathematics, Applied Geology, Food Processing, and Nutrition Science.[45] Students are also admitted in Ph.D. programs twice a year through online applications.[46]

Ranking and reputation

University rankings
General – international
QS (Asia) (2024)[47]401-450
Engineering – India
NIRF (2024)[48]49
Architecture – India
NIRF (2024)[49]4

IIEST Shibpur was ranked in the 401–450 band among the top universities in the Asia category by the QS Asia Ranking 2024.

In India, IIEST Shibpur was ranked 49th among engineering institutes by the NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) rankings in 2024 and 4th in Architecture & Planning.[50]


Academic collaboration

In 2017, the institute collaborated with the US-based University of California, Irvine, and signed an MoU to offer dual degree programmes from both universities.[51]

Institute-Industry partnership

In April 2017, an MoU was signed between the Institute and the Indian Paint Association for a Master's Programme in Coating Sciences & Technology from the academic session 2017. Joint research projects would also be undertaken.[52] In October 2020, an MoU was signed between the Institute and IBM for collaboration on research, development of learning content, software, and faculty training. To promote research and innovation, particularly in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector in the state of West Bengal, a collaboration MoU was signed between the institute and the state-based advocacy group Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Bengal Chamber Premises.[53]

Student Life

The institute hosts the oldest institute fest in India, REBECA, along with technical and departmental fests.[54]

Notable people

Notable faculty

Notable alumni

References

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  2. ^ Mitra, Dipawali (20 April 2024). "IIEST Gets New Full-Time Director". The Times of India 20 April 2024, 04:14 IST. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Our History". Our History IIEST. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
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  5. ^ "Department of Higher Education | Government of India, Ministry of Education". www.education.gov.in. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
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