President's Message

Three Years of Collective Progress: Reflections and Gratitude at the End of My Presidential Term

Dear WAST Fellows and Associates,
As I complete my three-year term as President of the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology (WAST), I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Academy for entrusting me with the responsibility of serving this esteemed academy during 2023–2026.
I sincerely thank the Council members for their unstinted support, cooperation, and guidance in ensuring the smooth functioning of the Academy during this period. I also deeply appreciate the enthusiastic engagement and active participation of the Fellows and Associates in the various activities of WAST over the last three years.

The period 2023-2026 has been remarkably active and productive for the Academy. During these three years, WAST successfully organized more than 40 academic and outreach activities distributed across the calendar years. These programmes were conducted widely across the State, including Alipurduar, Jhargram, Bankura, Nadia, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly, South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, and Kolkata. Importantly, our activities reached universities, colleges - both government and private - as well as schools located in urban and rural areas alike.

I am pleased to inform that the Academy has also achieved significant financial progress during this period. The total sponsorship received over the last three years amounted to nearly Rs. 6.95 lakhs. In addition, two new endowment lectures were instituted with a combined donation of Rs. 10 lakhs. When the present Council assumed office in 2023, the total fund available with the Academy was approximately Rs. 6.4 lakhs. As on 31 March 2026, the total available fund has increased to about Rs. 20.4 lakhs, even after meeting all expenses related to the Academy’s activities. This reflects the financial stability achieved through collective effort and prudent management.

I am also happy to mention that all statutory and administrative documentations of the Academy, including society registration and income tax filings, are fully up to date.

Another important achievement during this term has been the publication of the roadmaps on “Regional Development through Science-Technology-Innovation” (Part-I and Part-II), comprising reports prepared by seven sectional committees. reports are now available on the WAST website. The Academy’s website has also been regularly updated with reports of all major activities.
The WAST YouTube channel has emerged as a valuable digital archive of lectures delivered by eminent speakers in the Academy’s programmes. At present, the channel hosts 31 videos and has gained 209 subscribers.

At this juncture, I would also like to place on record my sincere appreciation for the dedicated services rendered by numerous volunteers, many of whom are not Fellows or Associates of the Academy, but whose contributions were instrumental in making our programmes successful.

Finally, I would like to state that if there has been any shortcoming or mistake on the part of the Academy during the last three years, I take full responsibility for the same as President of the Academy.
I once again convey my sincere thanks to all Fellows, Associates, Council members, volunteers, and well-wishers for their cooperation, support, and goodwill throughout my tenure. I remain confident that WAST will continue to grow and contribute meaningfully towards the advancement of science, technology, and innovation in our State and beyond. With warm regards,

Sivaji Chakravorti
President
West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology
(2023–2026)