Key Points
- West Bengal nominates CTO Abhishek Roy to MAKAUT General Council
- Roy led state's COVID management system and e-governance programmes
- Appointment follows 2025 nomination to IISWBM governing board
The West Bengal government has nominated Abhishek Roy, chief technology officer in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms and e-Governance, to the General Council of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT), the state’s technical university.
The nomination, communicated through an order issued by the Higher Education Department on 2 November 2026, places Roy on the university’s highest administrative authority. The General Council is chaired by the Governor of West Bengal in his capacity as Chancellor and exercises overall supervision over MAKAUT’s administration, management, property and finances.
Roy is among three officials nominated by the state government under the provisions of the West Bengal University of Technology Act, 2000. The other nominees are Azar Zia, joint secretary in the Higher Education Department, and Anindita Ganguly, director of technical education under the same department.
The appointment follows Roy’s nomination to the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM), Kolkata, in September 2025. IISWBM said at the time that Roy’s inclusion on the board would support collaboration between academia and public-sector technology initiatives.
Digital governance
Roy has led several technology modernisation initiatives in West Bengal. Before assuming his current role as CTO, he headed the State e-Mission Team (SeMT), a unit responsible for e-governance programmes, business process re-engineering and technology-led public service delivery across state departments.
During the pandemic, Roy was involved in the state’s Integrated COVID Management System, a digital platform that provided citizens with information on hospital beds, oxygen availability and other pandemic-related services. A government technology compendium identified the State Governance Mission team headed by Roy as responsible for designing and implementing the system.
The system allowed residents to access real-time data on healthcare resources during the pandemic’s peak, when hospital capacity was a critical concern across Indian states.
Earlier in his career, Roy worked with Reliance Communications, where he handled analytics and business process projects in the private sector.
Roy holds a PhD in technology innovation from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and has completed postgraduate studies in cyber law and cyber forensics at the National Law School of India University. His areas of work include technology management, innovation strategy and digital governance.
MAKAUT, formerly known as the West Bengal University of Technology, is the state’s primary technical university and oversees affiliated engineering and management colleges. The General Council, as the supreme administrative body, sets policy direction for the university, while an Executive Council handles day-to-day administration. A separate Academic Council maintains standards for teaching, evaluation and examinations.
The Higher Education Department said the three nominations had been issued with the approval of the competent authority.
Your Questions, Answered
What is the MAKAUT General Council?
The General Council is the highest administrative authority of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology. It is chaired by the Governor of West Bengal and exercises supervision over the university's administration, management and finances.
Who is Abhishek Roy?
Abhishek Roy is the chief technology officer in West Bengal's Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms and e-Governance. He previously headed the State e-Mission Team and was involved in the state's COVID management system.
Who are the other nominees to the MAKAUT General Council?
The West Bengal government also nominated Azar Zia, joint secretary in the Higher Education Department, and Anindita Ganguly, director of technical education, to the council.
What is Roy's previous board appointment?
Roy was nominated to the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management in Kolkata in September 2025.
