Latest news with #SumanChakraborty


The Hindu
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Professor Suman Chakraborty appointed Director of IIT Kharagpur
Professor Suman Chakraborty, institute chair professor in the Mechanical Engineering department, was appointed Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur on Thursday (June 19, 2025). His appointment will end after a period of five years from the date of assumption of charge of the post. On December 31 last year, Professor Amit Patra, Director of IIT, Benaras Hindu University, had taken additional charge as the interim Director of IIT Kharagpur until the regular incumbent took over. Professor Chakraborty is a former student of Jadavpur University in Kolkata as well as of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. Currently a J.C. Bose National Fellow, he is also a visiting lecturer at Stanford University in the United States. His illustrious career as a scientist is centred around developing several 'affordable, simple-to-execute, and innovative diagnostic solutions' related to common clinical challenges like anaemia, cancer, COVID-19, tuberculosis etc. 'I sincerely appreciate the steadfast support of our IIT family and well-wishers. I eagerly anticipate our shared journey toward cultural transformation, innovation, and excellence as we work together to position our institute among the world's leading academic institutions,' Professor Chakraborty told The Hindu. Earlier this year, he was awarded the 2026 TWAS Award in Engineering and Computer Sciences by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In his long career, Professor Chakraborty has been involved in the development of clinical diagnostic technologies like Covirap, a rapid COVID-19 detection test kit that was granted a U.S. patent for its rapid nucleic acid testing technology using DNA-RNA samples. He has also developed technologies that are currently available in the market commercially, like PrepapQR, a home test to accurately test vaginal Ph, and HemoQR, a simplified anaemia screening test.


Time of India
17 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
IIT-Kgp, JU better global ranks, CU sees slight dip
Kolkata: IIT-Kharagpur, Jadavpur University and Calcutta University are the only three institutes from Bengal that have made it to QS World Ranking 2026. While IIT-Kharagpur and JU improved their rank, CU's position saw a dip. The list this year features 54 institutes from the country. The QS World University Rankings, published annually by the London-based global higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds, assess universities based on performance indicators, like academic reputation, faculty-student ratio, research impact, international student diversity, graduate employability. IIT-Kharagpur has climbed seven spots from 222nd rank last year to 215th. It also ranked 4th among the IITs. The new IIT Kharagpur director, Suman Chakraborty, said, "We have performed better than last year but our rank can improve if we can create a positive impression on the outer world as perception plays an important role." The outgoing acting director, Amit Patra, said, "Our performance in citations per faculty, international research network and sustainability, helped us better our position. " At 676, JU's rank improved significantly from last year's position between 721 and 730. "As a state-run institute, we have constraints, including funds crunch. Still, JU has been performing well. The credit goes to our teachers', researchers' and students' dedication. Improvement in areas, like faculty-student ratio, international student diversity and international student ratio, could have advanced our rank, but they do not depend entirely on the university," said an official. CU's rank dropped to a place between 771 and 780 from last year's 751 to 760. CU acting VC Santa Datta said, "The rank has slightly dipped but it's a proud moment that we are still among institutes on the world ranking list. With limited resources, my aim is to develop the university holistically, focusing on research and international network."


Time of India
17 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
IIT-Kgp gets full-time director after 6 months
Kolkata: Suman Chakraborty, institute chair professor in mechanical engineering at IIT-Kharagpur, was appointed the institute's full-time director on Thursday. A winner of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, Chakraborty is currently a J C Bose National fellow. He was awarded the 2026 TWAS Award in Engineering and Computer Sciences by Unesco for his work in micro- and nanoscale flows, enabling innovations in diagnostic technologies and improving rural livelihood and healthcare access. Chakraborty confirmed he had received the appointment letter for the IIT-Kgp director's post. "The institute needs a cultural transformation. A healthy environment with positive thinking and free flow of ideas should prevail and the environment of intimidation should be eliminated. Young students lost their lives. Despite the institute's efforts, we have not been able to address the matter. If we can collectively work, things will change for the better," he said. "My biggest happiness will be to work for IIT-Kgp's academic progress." After V K Tewari's retirement in Dec 2024, the campus was being run by IIT-Varanasi director Amit Patra. Chakraborty graduated from JU in mechanical engineering in 1996 and did his ME at IISc. He joined JU as a lecturer. He received his PhD from IISc in 2002. He joined IIT-Kgp in 2002 as an assistant professor.