House panel visits NID to assess ‘excellence’ claim

A nine-member team of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance led by chairman Shanta Kumar visited the National Institute of Design (NID) campus on Thursday to assess its claim for becoming a Centre of Excellence (CoE).

The team, with members from both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, saw display work by students of various courses and interacted with the faculty members and students before moving to Gandhinagar to meet state government officials. The NID bill is expected to be put forward during the monsoon session of the Parliament, seeking to bring it at par with the IIT's.

"This is in line with the procedure for the NID bill to be cleared . The team took a look at the facilities and education offered. They also saw the students' diploma projects along with the socio-economic development projects taken up by different departments," said Pradyumna Vyas, Director, NID.

In 2009, the UGC (University Grants Commission) had rejected the institute's plea for deemed university status. To retain its autonomy, NID's governing council had drawn up a draft to apply for the CoE like the IIT's and NIFT Act.

"Once the institute is declared a Centre of Excellence(CoE), we can offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees rather than diplomas and PhD Degrees, while maintaining our autonomy in terms of curriculum and pedagogy. We want NID to be at par with institutes like IITs," added Vyas.

The bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on March 11, 2013 and had then been referred to the Committee on Commerce headed by BJP leader Shanta Kumar.

Presently, NID is recognised as an autonomous body under the DIPP( Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Source: Indian Express

Japan to help set up India's 2nd NID in Haryana

India's second National Institute of Design (NID) will be set up in Haryana's Kurukshetra district with provide technological assistance from Japan.

The Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma on 22 May, 2013, laid the foundation stone of the NID to be set up in Urmi village of Kurukshetra district, Haryana. The first NID was set up in Ahmedabad in 1961.

Sharma said that he had been to Japan recently where he urged Japan to collaborate in the setting up of the NID in Kurukshetra.

"It is a matter of happiness that Japan would provide technological assistance to this institute," he said while addressing the gathering at the foundation stone laying function. He said that in view of its national importance, the NID has been declared as a centre of excellence.

Spread in over 20 acres, the new NID will have an investment of over Rs.160 crore. It will offer under-graduate and post-graduate courses to over 500 students.

"This institute would provide world class design education and training to the professionals in the field of animation, films, exhibitions, graphics, products, Ceramic and Glass, lifestyle and furniture and interior design. The concerned departments of the ministry have been directed to complete all the relevant formalities so as to set up this institute in a record time," Sharma said.

Source: India EDU News