Par panel asks textiles ministry to expedite incubator project under NIFT

To encourage entrepreneurship and generate employment, a Parliamentary panel on Thursday recommended to the textiles ministry to expedite the Design Innovation Incubator Project under NIFT and operationalise it within the timelines.

Member of Parliament Bhola Singh presented the report of the Standing Committee of Labour on the functioning of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), under the Ministry of Textiles, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The committee is chaired by MP Bhartruhari Mahtab.

Developing cutting-edge technologies and gaining expertise as well as gaining super specialisation in intricate areas and aspects of the fashion would "undoubtedly" put the Indian fashion industry on a level playing field, said the report.

It said NIFT as a pioneering fashion institute has an even greater role to play. NIFT should leverage and expand the courses and programmes which are in line with global standard so as to cater to high expectations of the nation and rise further on the global fashion map, it said.

Product development under the NIFT Design Innovation Incubation (DII) Project through innovative technology in an enabling environment has been envisaged with an expected deliverable of 50-60 entrepreneurial set ups having capacity to generate employment employment of over 1,500 people, it said.

"The committee have recommended the Ministry to expedite the Design Innovation Incubator Project so as to make it operational within projected timelines for achieving the expected outcome deliverables," the report said.

It will encourage more entrepreneurs and enhance employment generation in the fashion sector, the committee said.

However, it expressed concern that NIFT degrees are not recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC), despite several communications from the ministry to UGC.

The "same has not been done" on the plea that any degree which is not specified under Section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956, shall render it "invalid", said the report.

"The committee have desired the ministry to take up the pending issue of due recognition to NIFT degrees by UGC alongwith other constraints faced by the institute at appropriate levels," it added.