Latest news with #IIEST
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Admission pause: Brain drain risk for state, anxiety for those who stay back
1 2 Kolkata: The anxious wait for students aspiring to study engineering or general degree courses in Bengal continued as WBJEE results and college merit lists remained mired in legal tangle. Frustrated by the inordinate delay, those who have the means have already moved to other states or taken admission to private colleges. Students who are still waiting to study at engineering institutes in Bengal, like JU or CU, are in a dilemma. "I want to study engineering at JU. But I also have the option of participating in the IIEST counselling process and I will not give it a pass," said engineering aspirant Sparsha Sengupta. Parents are equally worried. Debraj Kundu said his son was disappointed on learning on Thursday that it could take another fortnight for the JEE result to be published. "Though I have paid his admission fee for BITS Pilani, he is keen on studying here and doesn't want to leave. He also appeared for IIEST counselling and may get a mechanical engineering seat," said Kundu. "My son wants to study at JU but he may have to forgo his dream institute. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New 2024 Portable Air Conditioners in Malaysia: No Installation Required – Check Them Out! Air Condition | Search Ads Search Now Undo " You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Archismita Chakraborty has already given BITS Pilani a pass and now, WBJEE is her only option this session. "After WBJEE uploaded the answer key, I calculated my score. I can get admission at JU. But I am too frustrated with this procedure and may not continue even after getting a chance to study there as I can't keep faith in the system in my state. I may drop out this year and prepare for JEE Mains next year," she said. Arshee Ghosh, too, has opted out of other options to stay back in Bengal. "Even after the result is out, it will take at least a month to finish admissions. I did not take the other options as I wanted to stay in Bengal," she added. While these students are waiting for WBJEE result, their friends who moved to other states have started their classes. Engineering professors are also apprehensive about losing quality students amid the delay. A computer science engineering professor, Sankhayan Choudhury, said, "Owing to a delayed start to classes, we will fail to maintain parity with the academic calendar of other institutes. So these students will suffer and face challenges to make up for the loss of time. " The WBJEEB, which held the entrance tests at Presidency University, was supposed to publish lists on Aug 9 but even that date turned uncertain after the court order. The merit list for centralised admission portal was to be published on Thursday though higher education department officials said they would take some more time. An official said, "The process is underway, and it will be published soon. We will take legal opinion before publishing the list." Students said they had to face the consequences. UG candidate Rishabh Banerjee said, "We have been sitting idle for months. It is frustrating when I see some of my batchmates starting classes at private colleges or outside the state. Students are the worst sufferers." (Input from Dipawali Mitra) Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
02-08-2025
- Science
- Time of India
IIEST restores, displays country's oldest seismograph, unearthed from godown
1 2 Kolkata: India's oldest seismograph, which had been lying at the wood godown of Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology, Shibpur, till a few months ago, has finally been restored and displayed at the eight-storey building that houses the engineering college director's office and some departments. The earthquake measuring instrument, an original Benioff horizontal seismograph, was built by Victor Hugo Benioff of California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1932. It was Caltech that had gifted the seismograph to the geophysical laboratory of the institute, then known as BE College, Shibpur, marking India's entry into the global network of seismic observatories. IIEST Board of governors chairperson Tejaswini Ananth Kumar said, "This instrument (although defunct now) stands as a testament to India's early contributions to global geophysical research, with BE College playing a pioneering role in advancing seismology and establishing the country's presence in international scientific collaborations. It also shows the city's contribution to science, technology and research and is necessary to showcase the evolution to students." In 2019, the instrument was pulled out from beneath a one-storey building that was built on the campus for the geophysical lab but was later used as the university engineer's office. At present, the building houses a canteen. Though there were plans to lodge the heritage device in a proper place, it did not materialise and was kept at the wood godown, said a campus insider. "It was around June that we came across the seismograph at the wood godown while cleaning it," IIEST spokesperson Nirmalya Bhattacharyya said. " Under the leadership of director VMSR Murthy, we decided to clean it, restore it and put it on display. Assistant registrar Bivore Das helped us with the history and importance of the instrument. A rare copy of one of the recordings of an earthquake has also been retrieved and displayed." You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Bhattacharyya highlighted that the seismograph could not only detect local tremors but also distant seismic events from the Himalayan belt, Southeast Asia and the mid-Indian Ocean ridges. "The geophysical lab used it to contribute seismic data to international earthquake catalogues. It became an essential part of earthquake monitoring during the interwar period, post-World War II and especially during the International Geophysical Year (1957–58). It was also during that period, under the leadership of maths professor S K Chakraborty, that BE College was selected as one of the few Indian observatories to send seismic and cosmic ray data," he said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
01-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
KMC picks IIEST to review list of city heritage buildings, assign grades
Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to start scientific valuation of heritage buildings and evaluate the grades of these structures with help of experts from Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur. The scientific valuation will take into account three parameters: architectural, historical, and environmental. Mayor Firhad Hakim announced on Friday that the heritage status of a building would be decided on these three factors. "The decision of the heritage valuation of buildings is finalised. Earlier, we approached IIT-Kharagpur, IIEST, Shibpur, and Jadavpur University, seeking their expertise in executing the process," the mayor said. "If it is found that a building was declared heritage only because a notable personality went there for tea, we have to think about how much heritage importance the specific building has," the mayor added. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The process will start on 305 heritage buildings where the grades have not been decided yet, according to a senior KMC official. The official said, "At present, there are over 1,300 heritage buildings in the city, and of them, about 1,000 are graded. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo The remaining 305 have not been graded, and that is why we will start the heritage valuation on these buildings to decide on their grades. The three institutes, IIT-Kharagpur, IIEST, and JU, gave us estimates for the valuation process, and then we decided to go for IIEST, Shibpur. " The official also said the grades of all heritage buildings will be reviewed with the help of this valuation process. "Buildings that score top 10 in this valuation will be Grade A heritage. The grade of any heritage building may change after the valuation. If the heritage status of any building cannot be justified, it may also be dropped from the list," said the official.
India Today
21-07-2025
- Health
- India Today
Why carrying your own cup while travelling can protect you from microplastics
If you're in the habit of drinking tea or coffee from a disposable paper cup, it might be time to switch to a reusable one. According to researchers, hot beverages poured into plastic or paper cups can release thousands of microplastic particles into your drink, and eventually into your AnanthKumar, Chairperson of the Board of Governors at the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), recently shared a message on social media, encouraging people to carry their own cups while travelling. 'Along with your water bottle, carry your own cup to avoid drinking tea or coffee in paper cups,' she wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. advertisement'A hot beverage left in a paper cup for just 15 minutes can release up to 25,000 microplastic particles.' She credited this information to a study from IIT Kharagpur. PAPER CUPS ARE NOT JUST PAPERThough called "paper" cups, these disposable containers are usually lined with a thin layer of plastic — typically polyethylene — to hold the liquid. When hot drinks are poured into them, this lining begins to break a 2021 study, researchers from IIT Kharagpur, including Dr. Sudha Goel and research scholars Ved Prakash Ranjan and Anuja Joseph, discovered that within 15 minutes of contact with hot liquid (85–90 degrees Celsius), the cup releases around 25,000 microplastic particles into just 100 ml of if you're drinking three cups of tea or coffee a day in these cups, you could be swallowing up to 75,000 microplastic particles daily without even DO THESE PARTICLES GO?Once consumed, microplastics can enter our bloodstream and travel through the body. Over time, they may accumulate in vital organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys, and even in the placenta of pregnant women, according to small-scale lab studies.'These microplastics can act as carriers for other toxic substances like heavy metals and organic compounds,' said Dr. Goel. This could increase the health risks further, she ARE THE HEALTH RISKS?Though long-term research is still ongoing, scientists are already warning about the potential dangers. Microplastics and the chemicals used in plastics like bisphenols, phthalates, and dioxins, are linked to a range of serious health concerns. These include:Hormonal imbalancesReproductive issuesGrowth problems in childrenObesityCancerNeurological disordersImmune system damageIn 2024, a study from Columbia University also found that single-use plastic bottles can release over 2,40,000 nanoplastic fragments, which are even smaller than microplastics and possibly more dangerous. These particles can pass through cell walls, reach the brain, and even the unborn CAN YOU DO?Experts say one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce your exposure is by carrying your own reusable steel or glass cup, especially when drinking hot liquids. Not only is it better for your health, but it's also a more sustainable choice for the daily cup of chai doesn't have to come with a dose of plastic. A simple switch can help you stay healthier, one sip at a time.- EndsTrending Reel
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Time of India
IIEST research scholar undergoes 4-day digi-arrest, loses 27.6 lakh
Howrah: A PhD student at IIEST, Shibpur, fell victim to digital arrest fraud by accused, posing as CBI, and was forced to pay Rs 27.6 lakh to avoid the alleged detention. The gang kept the woman under constant video surveillance for four day, allowing her only brief breaks to use the washroom. Police arrested Vishal Singh (30), who had orchestrated the fraud, from Kanpur. He was presented in Howrah Court on Thursday and remanded in police custody. DC DD Bishop Sarkar said the woman had received a WhatsApp video call on April 15, in which a man, dressed as a police officer, claimed he was from the CBI and accused her of human trafficking. The man, who later turned out to be Singh, said he was placing her under "digital arrest" and instructed her to stay put at home and to keep the video call on throughout. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Over the next four days, Vishal and his gang kept a continuous watch on the woman, allowing her only short breaks to use the washroom. She was even forced to eat under the video watch. All the while, they plied relentless pressure, levelling multiple accusations, trumping up false charges and threatening her, before telling her that the only way to avoid an arrest was to pay for her bail. Intimidated, exhausted and disoriented, the woman buckled under the mental torture and transferred Rs 27.6 lakh to the fraudsters' bank account on April 19. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo It was only after she transferred the fund that the video call was disconnected. She soon realised she had been conned and lodged a complaint at the Howrah cybercrime PS. Police first traced the video call and the account to which the money had been transferred, which led them to Singh in Kanpur. Investigators said of the total money, they could recover only Rs 1.5 lakh from Singh's account.
