Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur
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| Bengal Engineering and Science University | |
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| Established: | 1856 |
| Type: | Public |
| Vice-Chancellor: | Mr. N. R. Banerjea |
| Location: | Howrah, West Bengal, India |
| Campus: | Urban |
| Affiliations: | UGC |
| Website: | www.becs.ac.in |
The Bengal Engineering and Science University, established in 1856 at Shibpur, Howrah is the fourth oldest (behind the College of Engineering, Guindy, IIT Roorkee and the College of Engineering, Pune) engineering college in existence in India. The University is known in India and abroad for its heritage as well as excellence in teaching and research in Engineering and Applied Sciences. It was formally established as Civil Engineering College, Calcutta, in 1856 with the idea of introducing engineering education to the country. Every year students from this institution form a large intake of the administration, management and technocracy, both in the public sector and private companies in India and abroad. The University celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2006.
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[edit] Historical roots
It has had a long and checkered past. Initially known as Bishop's College, Bengal Engineering College came to be known as Calcutta Civil Engineering College from 24th November, 1856, when there were only 10 students and a few instructive staff. From 12th February, 1920, the name was changed to B.E. College Shibpur. The word Shibpur was deleted from 24th March, 1921.
From 1865 to 1879 the College functioned as Civil Engineering Department of Presidency College, Kolkata. In 1880 the college shifted to its new and permanent home the lush campus at Bishop's College, Howrah. It got its name, Bengal Engineering College in 1921.
From May 1857 to 1992, it was a constituent college of the University of Calcutta. In recognition of its services to the nation, the college was elevated to the status of a Deemed University in 1992. The then President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, formally inaugurated the University on March 13, 1993. On 1st October, 2004, Bengal Engineering College (A Deemed University) was elevated to the status of a full-fledged University with its present name. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the President of India, formally inaugurated it as Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur, BESUS, on 13 July 2005.
The Central Govt decided to upgrade it to an IIT, along with seven other institutes in various parts of the country. However after initial debates it is decided now that instead of IIT status it will be given a new status: Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST). The upgrade will bring to it the highest accolade of Institute of National Importance, a distinction shared by only some celebrated institutes like the IIT's, IISc, NITs, ISI. This is now going to be possible after the approval of the state government of West Bengal which they announced in the State Assembly on 13 July 2007, exactly two years after the day the President of India inaugurated as a University. The institute will become a national institute and its admissions will be possibly through AIEEE or any other national exams with 50 percent reservations for West Bengal students.
[edit] Location
The University is located in the sylvan surrounding on the western bank of the Hoogli River in Howrah, opposite the city of Kolkata, which is connected by transportation to all the major Indian cities as well as to some foreign ones by rail transport and air routes and also by the Golden Quadrangle Road Network presently nearing completion. The nearest railway station is Howrah Station, which is six kilometres from the University Campus, and the Airport is at a distance of thirty kilometres from the Main Gate of the campus.
[edit] Undergraduate and graduate studies
The University, at present, offers the following AICTE approved undergraduate courses leading to B.E (8 semester) /B.Arch. (10 semester).
- Architecture .
- Civil Engineering .
- Computer Science & Technology .
- Electrical Engineering .
- Electronics & Tele-Communication Engineering .
- Information Technology .
- Mechanical Engineering .
- Metallurgical Engineering .
- Mining Engineering .
The University also offers AICTE approved 4-semester post graduate courses leading to Master of Engineering degree in 8 disciplines, namely, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Metallurgy, Mining, Electronics and Tele-Communication, Computer Science and Technology, Engineering Mechanics and Mining and a 4-semester post graduate degree course in Master of Town & Regional Planning.
In addition to above , the Institution also offers the following Post-graduate courses:
- 6-semester course in Master of Computer Applications(MCA).
- 6-semester part-time evening Post-graduate courses in Civil Engineering in three areas of specialization namely Structural Engineering, Geo-technical Engineering & Environmental Engineering.
- 6-semester part-time evening course in Industrial Metallurgy.
- 4-semester full time course in Master of Business Administration (MBA) under the aegis of BECSOMS.
- 6-semester part time course in Information Technology, under PDSIT.
- 2 year post-graduate course in Bioinformatics.
- 4 semester full time course in Master of Science in Applied Physics, Applied Chemistry, Applied Mathematics and Applied Geology.
- 4 semester full time in Materials Engineering leading to Master of Technology.
- 4 semester full time in Mechatronics and Robotics leading to Master of Technology. This course is carried on by BESU in
collaboration with three CSIR laboratories --
(1) Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute(Pilani),
(2) Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (Chandigarh)
and (3) Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (Durgapur).
[edit] Campus life
The university has a lush green campus, with a number of ponds. There is a four storied central academic building, an eight storied extension building, a workshop complex, a three storied building for material science, two canteens and a university auditorium. Classes start from 8am in the morning and continue till 5pm. There are a number of hostels out of which the 1st and 2nd year students are accommodated into Hostel Nos. 7,8,9 & 11 while Hostel Nos.14,15 and 16 are used to accommodate the pg and few 3rd year ug students. A number of single-seater residence halls like McDonald Hall, Richardson Hall, Sen Hall, Sengupta Hall and Wolfenden Hall accommodates the 3rd and 4th year ug students. The ladies hostel is called Pandya Hall. The campus also has a well-equipped gymnasium, a swimming pool and a hospital. There is a model school named BE College Model School in the campus.
Campus activities include games in two large ground called Oval and Lords, that good old "adda" at Netaji bhaban or at the canteen. Every year an annual fest is held together with an alumni meet - it is called REBECA, an acronym for "REunion of BECollege Annuals".It is one of the biggest cultural fest in the Eastern India.
There is also a College band called "Amra". There is a cultural club called FOBECS an acronym for "Forum Of BECollege Students". This club organises all kinds of activities from quizzes, poetry competition, elocution etc to photography exhibition. It also publishes a monthly magazine called Unmesh. This forum was first started by a handful of students in year the 2000 with a common vision of improving speaking abilities of students.
The college is also a seat of culture. It has not only produced hardcore engineers like Dr. Fazlur Khan, Bangladeshi-American structural Engineer, but also engineers who have made major contributions in other fields, for which they will be remembered with reverence for times to come. They include playwright and theatre activitst Badal Sircar, novelist Narayan Sanyal, former minister of Government of West Bengal Dr Shankar Sen, poet Binoy Majumdar, eminent Sarodist Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta and many others. Amongst many recent youth engineers from this college making contributions in the literary field are Tanusree Chakraborty, Arindam Gangopadhyay and Sukanta Ghosh.
[edit] External links
- Official webpage
- Global Alumni webpage
- Tarundar Thek, An Unofficial Forum for Alumni worldwide for casual talks, "Adda"
- Official site for REBECA'06
- Hyderabad Chapter of BECAA
- Bioinformatics BESU
[edit] Alumni
Bengal Engineering and Science University produced eminent engineers who are well known both in India and internationally like
- Sir Rajen Mukherjee
- Sir Biren Mukherjee
- Dr. Amitava Ghosh, Director IIT Kahragpur
- Dr. Bimal Bose, Dishtinguished Professor, Power Electronics, University of Tennesse,USA
- Dr. Nihar Biswas, Dean, University of Windsor, Canada
- Dr. Tapas Shome, Distinguished Engineer, IBM, USA
- Dr. T.Mukherjee, Director, Tata Group and MD, Tata Metallics
- Dr. S.Golder, Principal, Delhi College of Engineering,
- Prof. A.Mitra, Director, School of Planning and Architecture,New Delhi
- Dr. Amit Bandyopadhyay PE, F.ASCE, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, Chair, Architecture and Construction Management, SUNY-Farmingdale apart from many other leading engineers and educationists.
