The Union Government has approved a proposal to upgrade Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) to the level of Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST).

Upgradation into IIEST would require an amendment to the National Institutes of Technology Act (NIT), 2007. The Bill proposing amendment to the NIT Act will be placed in the current session of Parliament, vice-chancellor of BESU, Ajay Kumar Ray, told Business Line .

Once amended, BESU will be conferred with the coveted tag of Institute of National Importance (INI).

Thrust on PG research

“BESU, Shibpur, is one of the oldest engineering institutes in the country. The Union Government had constituted a committee that recommended six institutes to be upgraded to IIEST, which signify a new series of institutes. BESU tops the list of institutes recommended by the Committee,” Ray said.

BESU will receive Rs 590 crore from the Centre over the next five years for upgrading facilities and expansion.

The institute will lay more thrust on postgraduate and research programmes in strategic areas including medical science and technology, renewable energy, environment and water technology, nano science, aerospace engineering, computer science and automobile engineering among others, Ray said.

“In the days to come many more engineering institutes will be converted into IIEST,” he said.

>shobha.roy@thehindu.co.in

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