The following announcement has been posted on BESU website:
http://www.becollege.org/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=364
(Chronicle note: The College is the first among 5 colleges to be declared as IIEST. This is because Bengal Engineering College has just completed its 150th anniversary celebrations. Other colleges shall be declared as IIESTs as soon as they agree and comply with all the formalities.)
Dated: 27th/28th December, 2007
To
Shri Amit Kiran Deb,
Chief Secretary,
Government of West Bengal.
Kolkata
Subject: Upgradation of Bengal Engineering & Science University (BESU) , Shibpur into Indian Institute of Engineering Science & Technology (IIEST)
Sir,
I am to inform that the Government of India has decided in principle to upgrade the Bengal Engineering & Science University, (BESU), Shibpur into Indian Institute of Engineering Science & Technology (IIEST) with the status of "Institute of National Importance".
2. The IIEST will be incorporated in the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007 (No. 29 of 2007) by inserting a separate schedule (i.e. other than the one where the names of various NITs have been mentioned) annexes with the NIT Act, 2007. The IIEST, Shibpur would be a fully funded Central Government Institution and subject to the approval by the Cabinet, the upgradation will be from the academic session 2008-09. For the proposed upgradation, adequate financial resources will be provided for from the financial year 2007-08 onwards.
3. Admissions to the Institute will be through All Indian Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) and the admission policy would be similar to that of the National Institute of Technology (NITs), i.e, 50% of the students to be admitted from the State of West Bengal and the remaining 50% admitted from outside of the State. As regards governance structure, this will be as provided for under the NIT Act 2007, which also provides for participation of the State Government's nominee in the Governing Body of the Institute. The State Government will have to forego its control over the Institute. In this regards attention is invited to Shri R. P. Agrawal, Secretary (HE)'s D.O. letters No. F.11-5/2006- TS.I dated 5th April, 2007 and 4th July, 2007 and your reply vide letter NO. 227-CS/2007 dated 16.07.2007.
4. The Government of India will soon initiate the process of introducing suitable amendments in the NIT Act, 2007.
Yours faithfully,
(Ravi Mathur)
Joint Secretary to the Government of India
Copy to.
Dr. N. R. Banerjea, Vice Chancellor