Dr. Brinda Bhowmick replaces Professor BK Roy as Dean Academic of NIT Silchar following suicide and agitation

A notice issued by the Establishment Section of the National Institute of Technology Silchar states that, as per clause 19 of the “First Statutes under NIT Act, 2007,” Dr. Brinda Bhowmick, Professor in the Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, is hereby appointed as Dean (Academic), effective from September 25, 2023.

This marks the end of arguably one of the most controversial tenures of a Dean in the history of NIT Silchar. The notice further adds, “The services rendered by Prof. B. K. Roy, Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, as Dean (Academic), are acknowledged with appreciation.”

This decision comes after the students of NIT Silchar volunteered for an indefinite hunger strike following the suicide of Koj Buker, a third-year student who was allegedly denied permission to register for the next semester due to backlogs.

For Director of NIT Silchar, Professor Dilip Kumar Baidya, it was a challenging choice. On one end, he had students on a hunger strike; on the other, he had faculties who were being accused of wrongdoing while they were only following the rules he approved. On Friday, the director had to make a decision, and he chose to support the students. Consequently, Dr. BK Roy’s departure from his role became inevitable as removal of the Dean Academic was their first demand.

Deans serve as advisors to the directors and are not appointed through interviews but are nominated based on seniority and wisdom of the Director. The board accepts the nomination, and then the Dean is officially announced. Professor Rajat Gupta nominated Dr. BK Roy when he was the director in charge of the institution. However, students at NIT Silchar have raised questions about BK Roy’s nomination as Dean Academic, particularly because his daughter was a student at the institution when he was nominated.

“There is no law that prohibits the nomination of a professor as Dean Academic if his or her child is a student at the institution, and these allegations cannot withstand legal scrutiny,” says a former Registrar familiar with the laws. “Furthermore, he did not nominate himself; he was nominated following the proper procedure, so he cannot be accused here,” adds the former professor.

“However, while it may not be a legal issue, one can certainly debate the ethical or moral aspects of such a nomination. Just as no holy book requires us to remove our shoes when entering a place of worship, we do so as a sign of respect. Yes, a conflict of interest situation may arise, and a professor can choose to withdraw from the nomination on ethical or moral grounds if he or she has a child studying as a student in the same institution, as was the case with Dr. Roy. Legally, however, BK Roy’s nomination as Dean or acceptance as Dean Academic cannot be questioned,” opines the former Registrar of the Institution.

Replacing BK Roy is another former student of the same institution (formerly known as REC before becoming NIT Silchar). Brinda Bhowmick (Shome) completed her B.E. in 2001 with first-class honors, her M.Tech. in 2004 with first-class distinction, and earned her Ph.D. degree in 2014 in the field of Microelectronics.

Currently, she has been a Professor in the Electronics and Communication Engineering Department of NIT Silchar since July 2022, amassing 19 years of teaching experience. In January 2018, she achieved the Visvesvaraya Young Faculty Research Fellowship from the MeitY Government of India. She has authored 110 SCI/SCIE International Journal papers, 33 conference papers, 17 book chapters, and published two patents, with three patents currently granted. Additionally, she has authored a book published by Cambridge Scholars in the UK. Under her guidance, eight Ph.D. scholars have been awarded their Ph.D. degrees.

Her research interests primarily focus on the simulation and modeling of various semiconductor devices such as TFET, SBMOS, HEMT, FINFET, Graphene FET, Tunnel diode, including Group III-V materials and 2D materials. She explores their applications in analog and digital circuits as well as sensors.

With another accomplished scholar taking on the role of Dean Academic, it remains to be seen how Professor Bhowmick will address the concerns of students in challenging situations. She, too, will be bound by the same set of rules that governed Professor BK Roy. While she is known for her student-friendly approach, navigating the rules to make exceptions will undoubtedly present a challenge.