Bill passed to amend National Institute of Design Act

Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill that seeks to give the status of institutions of national importance to National Institutes of Design in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Haryana.

The National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed in Lok Sabha after Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash said the new institutes will be of the same standard as NID Ahmedabad.

The bill had been passed by Rajya Sabha.

The Bill seeks to amend the National Institute of Design Act, 2014, which declares the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad as an institution of national importance.

At present these institutions do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas and can do so after the bill is passed by Parliament.

During in the debate in the lower house, Congress member Shashi Tharoor said India has strength in design but was being outpaced in intellectual property registrations.

"The legislation was a missed opportunity as it confers the status of institutions of national importance to National Institutes of Design in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Haryana but does not define the institution of national importance," he said.

Tharoor said progress in the subject of the design was crucial for enhancing India's soft power.

Referring to India's Mars orbiter Mangalyaan, he said it was made in a budget which was less than that of Hollywood movie Gravity and showed how Indians can embrace frugality to design. However, he said India was being "outpaced in intellectual property registrations.