The Symposium on Artificial Intelligence (AI) titled “Two Decades of the Center for Soft Computing Research: Deep Learning and Granular Computing”, sponsored by the Center for Soft Computing Research (CSCR) in collaboration with the National Science Chair Grant of Prof. Sankar K Pal with CSCR, was inaugurated today October 29, 2025 at the Platinum Jubilee auditorium of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata ( https://csscworkshop.wixsite.com/csscisi ).
The message from the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Smt. Mamata Banerjee, expressing her best wishes for the Symposium organizers and all the participants, was read out. In her message, the CM pointed out the importance of harnessing the true promise of AI towards the greater good of humanity and to see to it that its immense potential is not misused.
At the outset, on behalf of the Center for Soft Computing Research (CSCR), Dr. Kuntal Ghosh explained the importance of Soft Computing in the context of research in AI. He also mentioned the importance of the role of the governments in grooming ISI throughout the country which provides us the main support.
Next, the President of ISI, Prof Sankar K Pal, elaborated upon the history of research in AI in ISI since the 1970s and the impact that ISI created in this domain in the entire country. Next the Special Guest Prof Ashish Ghosh, Director IIIT Bhubaneswar explained how the Center for Soft Computing Research started its journey in 2004 funded by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), New Delhi under its prestigious Intensification of Research in High Priority Areas (IRHPA) program as only one of such three centers worldwide and groomed the Soft computing community throughout the country. Next, the Guest of Honor, Shri Purnedu Basu, Chairperson of West Bengal Council of Technical Education, highlighted the long legacy of ISI in the context of the Bengal renaissance that includes other than Mahalanobis, such great luminaries as Satyendranath Bose and Rabindranath Tagore. He also said that the greatness of this institute has to be preserved. He thanked the organizers for highlighting the great contributions of ISI in the domain of Artificial Intelligence, which is unknown to most people. Finally, the Chief Guest, Shri Ujjal Biswas, MiC, Science, Technology & Bio-technology, while highlighting the importance as well as some of the drawbacks of AI, said that the Scientists here should be proud of the contributions of Bengal as well as India in science and education and carry forward that legacy in the coming days.
