IIEST, Shibpur

Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur(pronunciation^ⓘ) (abbr. IIEST Shibpur) is a public technological university located at Shibpur, Howrah, West Bengal, India. Founded in 1856, it is one of Institute of National Importance funded by Ministry of Education of Government of India. It is regulated by the Council of NITSER. It is the fourth oldest engineering institute in India. 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.

The university was founded as the Civil Engineering College on 24 November 1856, in Writers' Building, Calcutta (now Kolkata). 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. Several other departments were created subsequently over the years, the last among them being that of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics in 2010.

On recommendation of UGC Expert committee, institution got status of a Deemed University in 1992 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

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

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

In October 2010 The union cabinet approved 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 will be an Institution of international standard and will produce quality manpower for the strategic sector of the country, research laboratories and quality teachers for the institutions of engineering and science education. An amount of ₹ 592.20 crore has been earmarked for the project and it will be completed over a period of five years.

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. President of India, Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated it as IIEST on 24 August 2014.

In June 2014, 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.