The West Bengal government is set to initiate steps to upgrade Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) Shibpur to Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) status, with a formal proposal expected to be sent to the Centre soon. State Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay indicated the move following a high-level meeting between central and state officials at Bikash Bhavan on Monday.
Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar, who attended the meeting, said the Centre would give serious consideration to the proposal once it is formally submitted. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and attended by senior state ministers, including School Education Minister Deepak Barman, along with an eight-member central delegation and officials from the state Education Department.
Speaking after the meeting, Chattopadhyay said there had earlier been a proposal to upgrade the erstwhile Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU), Shibpur, into an IIT. He claimed that the Anandakrishnan Committee had recommended such a move, but the plan did not materialise due to a lack of consent from the previous TMC government, leading to the institution’s transformation into IIEST.
The minister said that despite changes in name over the years — from Shibpur Engineering College to BESU and later IIEST — the institute’s legacy remains strong, though its brand value has declined compared to its earlier standing. He argued that IIEST’s infrastructure, campus and academic standards are comparable to several newer IITs and, in some respects, superior.
According to him, granting IIT status would significantly boost the institute’s national and global profile, attracting top students, researchers and faculty from India and abroad. It would also expand research opportunities and enable greater collaboration with industries and international institutions.
Majumdar, however, clarified that no formal proposal has yet been received by the Centre. He said the issue had been discussed during the meeting and that the Centre is aware of the state’s interest, but any decision would follow due process once a proposal is submitted. Officials said the state government believes that upgrading IIEST to an IIT would not only enhance the quality of technical education in West Bengal but also restore the prominence of one of the country’s oldest engineering institutions on both national and global platforms.
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