Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology

Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur owes its origin to the erstwhile Bengal Engineering College, the history of which goes to the nineteenth century when industries in the sense we understand today, were practically absent. Prompted by the idea of meeting requirement of trained engineering personnel for the Public Works Department, the then council of Education, Bengal, decided to open Civil Engineering classes and a Professorship in Civil Engineering was created at Hindu College, Calcutta, in the year 1843-44. A College of Engineering was started by the name of Civil Engineering College on 24th November 1856, in the premises of the Writers Building, Calcutta. With the establishment of Calcutta University on January 24, 1857, the college was affiliated to this university in May 1857. The first-degree examination in Bachelors of Civil Engineering was held in 1864 in which only 2 students graduated. In 1865, the college merged with Presidency College, Calcutta and from 1865 to 1869 the college functioned as the Civil Engineering Department of Presidency College. In 1880, the college was shifted to its present campus at Shibpur, Howrah, and was christened the 'Government College, Howrah,' in the premises of Bishop's College. It started imparting training in Civil as well as Mechanical Engineering. The college became wholly residential from the year 1889.