Department of Mechanical Engineering was established in the year 1906 as an integral part of National Council of Education (NCE) and it is, presently, one of the oldest Departments in the University. In 1955, after almost fifty years of its establishment, with the enactment of necessary legislation, Jadavpur University came into being and the Department became a part of it.
Since its inception, the Department has conducted undergraduate programme and countless students have obtained their engineering degrees through this programme. Over the years alumni from the Department have served and continue to serve in various prestigious positions in industrial, research as well as academic institutions of acclaim. They have undoubtedly shaped the future of the Nation and have a say in the continuous technological advancement.
At present, the Department has expanded to become the largest Department of the University (with a sanctioned teaching strength of 79) and offers one undergraduate programme (Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (BME)), two postgraduate programmes (Master of Mechanical Engineering and Master of Automobile Engineering) and a doctoral programme (PhD in Engineering). The Department also provides service in terms of catering courses (Workshop, Engineering Drawing, Mechanics, Thermodynamics etc.) to other departments and the common 1st year programme of the University. In a given academic session, the Department successfully confers undergraduate degree to around 120 to 140 students, Masters’ degree to 30 – 50 students and Doctoral degree to 15 – 20 scholars. In the QS World University Ranking by Subject for 2024, the Department was placed in the 301 – 350 band.
The Department has evolved over time but has always stayed true to the long-standing culture of emphasis on fundamental knowledge and skill development. This is ensured through a selection of core courses along with various courses that expose students towards hand-on practice (workshops courses), application-oriented tasks (laboratory and sessional courses), as well as, problem solving attitude (projects). A wide array of elective courses is also available to cater to new and upcoming trends of technology.
The Department receives students and scholars from a diverse educational, social, economic and cultural background and they are undoubtedly the backbone of a vibrant students’ affairs, which includes academic pursuits, as well as, sports and cultural activities. Their performance in competitive examinations and fellowship interviews continue to be excellent. Students regularly participate in technical competitions, tech fests, hackathons and innovation challenges and perform commendably. There are several student chapters (ISHARE, IMechE) and clubs (Motorsports Club, Aerospace Club) that operate to enthuse and motivate students towards achieving technical expertise outside classrooms.
Departmental infrastructure consists of adequate number of class rooms, drawing halls, extensive workshop facilities, computer laboratories and five specialized undergraduate laboratories. There are five main focus areas in the form of specializations (Applied Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics & Hydraulics Engineering, Heat Power, Machine Design and Production) and the faculty members are distributed in these specializations. Moreover, there are several research laboratories with sophisticated, state-of-the-art equipment, as well as, high-end computational facilities to conduct experimental, analytical and simulation-based research. The Departmental faculty members are actively engaged in advanced research work and are also involved in various research projects of National importance, involving organizations, such as, DRDO, ISRO, BRNS, DST, ARDB, IGCAR etc. The quality of research work performed is highlighted by the list of publications (More than 500 publications from the Department over the last 5 years) and continued contributions towards defense and space research programmes (for example, missile guidance system) of the Nation. The Departmental faculty members also undertake extensive consultancy work with various organizations. There have been several notable international collaboration initiatives with prestigious institutions. Presently, quite a few teachers from the Department are serving as editorial board members of reputed Journals. Several professors have also been inducted into prestigious societies and have been the recipient of awards and honours. At present the Department continues to concentrate on advanced research on computational fluid dynamics, material science, tribology, energy and thermo-fluid domains.
In addition to the regular academic and research-oriented work, the Department organizes workshops, value added courses, short term courses, training programmes and seminars for industry professional, scholars, external and internal students. International Conference on Mechanical Engineering (INCOM) is a series of conference that the department organizes at regular intervals with wide-spread participation from all over the Nation and abroad.
With its infrastructure, facilities, excellent faculty members and dedicated students and scholars, the Department is devoted, as it has always been since its establishment, to contribute towards Nation building and to meet relevant industrial and societal needs.

Highlights of the Department:

• One of the oldest and largest Department of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET)
• QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024: Placed in the 301 – 350 band
• Actively engaged in various research projects (in the past and present) of National importance, involving organizations like DRDO, BRNS, DST, IGCAR, ARDB, NSTL etc.
• Recipient of DST-Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST) and UGC-Special Assistance Programme (SAP) for promotion of R&D activities.
• Three Faculty members from the Department have been placed in the World Top 2% Scientists List 2023 compiled and published by Stanford University.
• Faculty members have been inducted into prestigious societies (Institution of Engineers, Indian National Science Academy, The National Academy of Sciences India, West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology) and received awards (INSA Best Teacher Award), fellowships (Humbolt, DAAD) and honours.