Dumka, Jharkhand: Dumka Engineering College (DEC) has achieved a significant milestone in innovation, entrepreneurship and startup development by securing a Four-Star Rating under the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), Ministry of Education, Government of India, for the IIC Calendar Year 2024–25. This is the highest rating achieved in Jharkhand for the year. Among approximately 80 participating institutions in the state, DEC has secured the highest IIC rating, while at the national level, the college has been placed among the Top 100 institutions for startup and innovation performance out of approximately 18,000 institutions. The official certificate issued by the Institution’s Innovation Council recognises the college’s efforts in undertaking activities prescribed by the Innovation Cell, Ministry of Education, to promote innovation and startups on campus. The achievement reflects the collective efforts of the college administration, faculty members, students and the IIC in building an ecosystem where innovative ideas can be transformed into practical solutions, entrepreneurial ventures and socially useful technologies.
The achievement was acknowledged by the college leadership, including Dr. Sudipta Chakraborty, Director; Dr. Ganesh Shankar, Principal; Dr. Ratan Kumar Bose, Vice Principal; and Prof. Pankaj Sarkar, President, Institution’s Innovation Council, Dumka Engineering College. The dignitaries congratulated the college community and highlighted the importance of strengthening innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-driven initiatives within the institution.
Dr. Sudipta Chakraborty, congratulated the entire college community on the achievement and described the Four-Star IIC Rating as an important recognition of the institution’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. He stated that “the recognition is not merely a rating but an acknowledgement of the institution’s continuous efforts to build an ecosystem where students and faculty members are encouraged to think differently, identify real-world problems and develop innovative solutions”…“the college will continue to strengthen its support for startups, technology development, industry collaboration and entrepreneurship so that innovative ideas generated within the campus can contribute meaningfully to society.”
Dr. Ganesh Shankar, expressed his happiness over the recognition and congratulated the faculty members, students and the IIC team for their dedicated efforts. He said that “the Four-Star Rating is a matter of great pride for the institution and Jharkhand as a whole.”…“the achievement demonstrates that institutions located outside major metropolitan centres can also create nationally recognised innovation ecosystems when students and faculty are provided with the right environment, mentorship and opportunities.”…“the college will continue to encourage students to move beyond conventional academic learning and develop solutions addressing challenges in areas such as agriculture, energy, healthcare, education, environment, rural development and emerging technologies.”
Dr. Ratan Kumar Bose, highlighted the importance of developing an innovation-oriented academic culture among students. He said that “innovation must become an integral part of engineering education rather than remaining limited to occasional projects or competitions. The Four-Star IIC achievement will motivate students to identify problems around them, experiment with new ideas, undertake interdisciplinary projects and explore entrepreneurship as a career option.”…“the college intends to further strengthen mentoring, innovation activities, prototype development, intellectual property awareness, startup incubation and industry interaction so that promising student ideas can progress from concepts to viable solutions.”
Prof. Pankaj Sarkar, expressed his gratitude to the Director, Principal, Vice Principal, faculty members, students and all members of the IIC for their continuous support. He stated that “the Four-Star Rating is the result of a sustained institutional effort to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.”…“the objective of the IIC is not simply to obtain a rating, but to create an environment in which students are encouraged to identify problems, generate ideas, develop prototypes, protect intellectual property, establish startups and ultimately create employment and social impact.”…“the recognition will provide renewed motivation to organise more innovation and entrepreneurship activities, including idea generation programmes, workshops, expert interactions, prototype development, startup awareness programmes, mentoring sessions and industry-academia initiatives.”
The Four-Star IIC Rating is expected to provide significant momentum to the startup ecosystem at Dumka Engineering College by encouraging students to transform academic projects and innovative ideas into commercially viable and socially useful solutions. A strong innovation culture will also help students develop essential skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving, risk-taking, leadership, teamwork and entrepreneurial confidence. The achievement further highlights the role of engineering institutions in Jharkhand in addressing regional challenges through indigenous technological solutions across sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, mining, healthcare, education, rural infrastructure, automation and digital services.
Beyond institutional recognition, a vibrant innovation ecosystem can contribute to employment generation, technology development, economic growth and social transformation. By encouraging students to become innovators and entrepreneurs, educational institutions can evolve into centres of knowledge creation and practical application. Startups emerging from such ecosystems can generate employment, develop locally relevant technologies and contribute to the broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and a knowledge-driven economy.
Building on this achievement, Dumka Engineering College aims to create further opportunities for students and faculty members to innovate, collaborate, develop startups and transform ideas into solutions that benefit society. The Four-Star IIC Rating represents both recognition and responsibility for the institution as it continues to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship as institutional priorities and establish itself as a prominent regional and national hub for startups, technology and societal development.