History of Chemical Engineering @ Jadavpur University
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The department of Chemical Engineering was founded in 1921, and a former student of Bengal National College under the National Council of Education (NCE) Prof. Hiralal Roy founded the department. The establishment of the department was the first of its kind in India. The purpose of the department was imparting scientific and technical education as well as developing entrepreneurs who could challenge the hegemony of the British at that time.
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Jadavpur University has a long and distinguished heritage. History of Jadavpur University started with the foundation of NCE Bengal on March 11 of 1906, and formation of Bengal National College and School (BNC) on Aug 14 in 1906 under NCE Bengal. With the intention to be a National University, the courses of BNC were properly framed. The BNC started functioning at 191/1 Bowbazar Street, Calcutta. Aurobindo Ghosh was its first principal.
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In 1906, the year of the foundation of the NCE Bengal, another association was set up, known as the Society for the Promotion of Technical Education in Bengal, also under the presidentship of Sir Rash Behari Ghose, with the aim of educating science and technology to the people of India and to further industrial progress. Under the auspices of this Society, the Bengal Technical Institution (BTI) was started on July 25 in 1906 at 92 Upper Circular Road, Calcutta, financed mainly by Sir Taraknath Palit. In 1910, the Society for the Promotion of Technical Education in Bengal was amalgamated with the NCE Bengal, and shifted to Panchabati Villa on Muraripukur Road in Maniktala in Sept-Oct in 1912.
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Mr. Hiralal Roy passed out Intermediate in Science from BNC in 1910, and went to Harvard University to study chemistry as an undergraduate student. After obtaining the degree of AB in Chemistry from Harvard University in 1913, Mr. Roy Joined the BTI as the teacher of Chemistry.
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“When he returned from Harvard in 1913, he understood chemical engineering and chemistry are two different subjects. Since the council came into being from a nationalistic spirit, Roy imbibed this idea and saw chemical engineering as a tool to develop indigenous entrepreneurs,” according to former HOD (1996 – 1998) and alumni (1961) of the department Prof. Asit Kumar Mitra?
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In 1921, the syllabus of the Industrial Chemistry Section was thoroughly revised by an expert committee and on approval by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray. According to former HOD Prof. Mitra, Prof. Hiralal Roy modelled the syllabus based on the course taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The course started with around 10 students in 1921 and Prof. Roy was appointed to look after the department. For the studies in the department, students with Matriculation degree were eligible for the admission to 4-years diploma course. The course included Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, History & Economics, Drawings & Workshops, Mechanics, Electrical Engineering, Heat Engine & Metallurgy, Fuels, Quantitative & Qualitative analyses, Industrial Chemistry, Unit Operation, Technology of Oils & Fats, and Soap Technology. ?The recommended Books were Industrial Chemical Calculation by Hougen & Watson, Heat Transmission by McAdams, Evaporating, Condensing and Cooling Apparatus by Hausbrand, Chemical Engineering Handbook by J.H. Perry, and Elements of Chemical Engineering by Badger & McCabe.
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In 1923, Prof. Roy went to Germany for a Dr.-Ing degree. ?In the meantime, Prof. Baneshwar Das, B.S.Ch.E (Illiois) joined the Department in 1924. This is a noteworthy milestone in the history of evolution of the department. The department started to grow with wisdom, determination and broad academic outlook. The course was taught on different premises in and around Maniktala before shifting to Jadavpur in 1924.
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In December of 1925, Mr. Hiralal Roy returned to the department after receiving the Dr.-Ing degree from Berlin, and took over as the Head of the Chemical Engineering Department. From July 1930, the Chemical Engineering course duration was increased to 5 years. In June 1939, the defense department of Government of India granted recognition to the graduates in Chemical Engineering.
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From 1941, the syllabus was thoroughly revised. Students passing ISC Science examination were eligible. The course duration was reduced to 4 years. From 1944, the degree of Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (B.Ch.E.) was awarded by the council in place of the diploma. During the 1940s, the current building of the department was founded.
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At the time of Independence in 1947, CET Bengal was virtually functioning as a university. In view of this fact, and in order that the degree of the NCE Bengal might receive statutory recognition, the Government of West Bengal with the concurrence of the Government of India enacted the necessary legislation for the establishment of a University at Jadavpur under the name of JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY, which started life on 24 December 1955. When the Bengal government enacted legislation to establish Jadavpur University in 1955, the NCE transferred all its property and teachers to the fledgling university and the chemical engineering department — along with other departments — came under JU.
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The courses of study were under constant review and modification. In the middle of 1940s, subjects like English, Strength of Materials, Industrial & Chemical Engineering Calculations, and Chemical Engineering Home Design were introduced. In the 1950s, Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics was introduced. The recommended book was Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics by Dodge and of Weber and Meissner. In the late 1950s, the subject Applied Kinetics was introduced. The Institute awarded the degree of Chemical Engineering in 1951 and PhD (Eng) in 1966 for the first time. By the way, Chemical Engineering degree became 5 years after 11 years of schooling from 1961.
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The brilliant run of Chemical Engineering suffered a jolt because of the Naxalite movement in the late 1960s. In December 1970, then JU vice-chancellor Gopal Chandra Sen was murdered on the campus at the height of the movement. “Like many other departments, our department, too, was in the doldrums and chaos prevailed,” said Ranjit Chakravorti (ChemE 1961) to The Telegraph Kolkata.
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Important course modification was done in the 1970s. Subjects like Process Instrumentation and Control, Chemical Plant design, and Project Engineering were introduced. Polymer Engineering and Furnace Technology were introduced at the PG Diploma level. Since 1978, the Chemical Engineering degree (B.Ch.E) became once again a 4-year course after 10+2 course in science.
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As Naxalites movement-related disruption ebbed, academic activities resumed, but things were different. The industry ecosystem that helped the department thrive changed dramatically since the 1980s. Bengal ceased to be the hub of industry. Gujarat and Maharashtra emerged as hubs of chemical and allied industries.
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The beginning of the 1980s saw major modification of the course in Chemical Engineering, marking a step of modernization. Subjects of Transport Phenomena, Chemical Engineering Mathematics, Numerical Analysis and Computer Programming, and Process Equipment Design Drawing have been introduced. Courses on Unit Operations have undergone a thorough revision and have been divided into Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Separation Processes and Mechanical Operations.
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For decades, the department has been offering undergraduate (BE), postgraduate (ME) and PhD (Engineering) courses with great success. Since 2011, the department has also been offering a postgraduate course in Bioprocess Engineering (MBPE). Advanced Process Engineering, Process Intensification, Bioprocess and Bioenergy, Membrane Based Processes, Fuel cell, Nanomaterials, Catalysis and Reaction Engineering, Environmental pollution, Waste valorization, Microwave-Assisted Processes, Smart Materials, State-of the-art Extraction Technology, Wastewater Technology, Advanced Drying Technology, Fuel and Combustion, Biofuel, Fuel Additives and Engine Performance and Emission Assessment, Applied Process Modelling, are some of the research areas of this department.
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The department has a high-level research infrastructure developed through central funding, namely, UGC-SAP, DST-PURSE, MHRD and TEQIP. Besides, sufficient research funds are received by individual faculty members through national and international projects. This department has provided professional leadership in diverse areas like setting up of the Biotechnology Board of the Government of India, stewarding of the State Pollution Control Board and providing consultancy at large corporate sectors, like IOCL, HPCL and HPL and many major chemical and allied industries in India. The students of all levels trained in this department, are well recognized and consistently accepted by the industries, research institutes, public sectors (e.g. ONGC, HPL, BARC) and National and International academic institutions. The departmental faculty members are active in collaborative research with different National and International Institutions.
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Pro-VC Prof. Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, an alumnus of the department, said to The Telegraph Kolkata, “The department’s rich heritage embodies the enlightened path of technical education in Bengal.” The department has 118 undergraduate seats as of 2023, and HoD is Prof. Rajat Chakraborty.
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A recently video about the department.
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?[The history of the department of Chemical Engineering in Jadavpur University is written based on several published articles and video presentations during centenary celebration (Feb 25 - 27, 2023)]?
Photo courtesy: The Telegraph Kolkata & Arnab Mitra (JCEAA member)?
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