IIEST has money, but can't find land for expansion

KOLKATA: Though flush with funds, the country's first Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) in Shibpur is struggling to start new departments for want of land.
"We have the money now, but space crunch is the biggest problem. We have 121 acres of land with us and we need 100 acres more. Otherwise how will we expand? We need to add more buildings, hostels, new departments, but where is the space?" IIEST director Ajoy Kumar Ray told PTI.

Established in 1856, the Bengal Engineering Science and University (BESU) has been upgraded to IIEST this year by the Centre.

A fund of close to Rs 600 crore has been earmarked for the institute for the next five years.

Located in adjoining Howrah district on the banks of the River Hooghly, IIEST plans to upgrade its infrastructure in a big way as it aims to compete with the IITs.

Ray said they are scouting for land near their present campus, but are also open for a second or satellite campus elsewhere in the city.

Integrating under-graduate education, post graduate education and research in engineering and science under the same umbrella, IIESTs have been given the status of institutes of national importance.

Among the new departments planned are those on renewable energy, naval architecture and ship-building, bio-medical science and technology, centres on water and environment research.

A Rs 150 crore multi-specialty research hospital is also in the offing, the IIEST director said.

Other upgradation include a modern 1700-seater auditorium, lecture hall complex, guest house, students hostel and staff quarters.

IIEST's governance model and organisational structure is still not clear as the Director said they are waiting for new statute from the central government which will act as guidelines for its functioning.

"We are trying to adopt the IIT model and even better than that. Having worked in IIT, I know the pitfalls of IIT. So, I will try to improvise on it and be more innovative," Ray said.

He also wants to improve the student-faculty ratio to 1:10 just like the IITs.

IIEST, Shibpur is the first one in India to have been upgraded as per the recommendations of Anandakrishnan Committee. Other engineering colleges are also in the pipeline.