The seeds of the Department were sown in the Electrical Engineering Department of Jadavpur University, when Professor Jnan Saran Chatterjee, the founder of the ETCE Department, JU was recruited by the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Triguna Sen. Prof. J. S. Chatterjee joined the Electrical Engineering (EE) Department (Communication Specialization) during 1955. At that time, Prof. H. C. Guha introduced the ‘Communication Specialization’ at the EE Dept., JU in 1951, out of which the Tele-Communication area sprang off. Prof. Sen’s idea was that Prof. J. S. Chatterjee would plan to set up a separate Department of Tele-Communication Engineering. Prof. J. S. Chatterjee came from the Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics, Calcutta University. A year later in 1956, his student, Prof. A. R. Saha joined the Electrical Engineering Department (Communication Engineering Specialization). Prof. J. S. Chatterjee and Prof. A. R. Saha worked together in the planning and setting up of this Department. Finally, a new Department, called ‘Tele-Communication Engineering ’ was born under the leadership of Prof. J. S. Chatterjee in 1957, and it was housed in a separate building within the Campus. During the next few years, Prof. P. Kundu, S. Deb, S. Banerjee, U. S. Ganguly, B. Nag and P. C. Sen joined this new Department.
From 1957, the regular B.E.Tel.E. Program was started in this new Department. Subsequently, from 1961, the M.E.Tel.E. Program, had been introduced. In the next few years, the subject developed so rapidly that the Department had to be re-named as Electronics & Tele-Communication Engineering Department, in the year – 1965. Gradually, the Department grew, and new courses were introduced. In 1966, a 3-year B.Tech. course in Instrumentation and Electronics Engineering was started. Later, in the year 1968, a one year P. G. Diploma course in Computer Science was introduced. Finally, a 4-year Degree course in Computer Science & Engineering discipline was introduced in the year 1981. From 1985, a regular 3-semester M.C.S.E. course had started. All these courses were running concurrently under the aegis of the Department of Electronics & Tele-Communication Engineering, JU.
The Department became so big that at one point in time, by the year 1986, the staff strength was around fifty, and the total number of students were around 400. In 1988, the Department was trifurcated into three Departments; viz. the Dept. of Electronics & Tele-Communication Engg., Dept. of Computer Sci. & Engg. and the Dept. of Instrumentation & Electronics Engineering.
The undergraduate program is NBA accredited for the academic years 2024 – 2025 to 2029 – 2030 (up to 30.06.2030)
