IIT-D to launch Department of Design from next session

The Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D) announed on Thursday it would set up a Department of Design to churn out designers who would be able to fuse new technologies with aesthetics for useful manoeuvering in the final product.

The department was approved by the Board of Governors of IIT in its meeting on August 4.

A School of Interdisciplinary Research (SIRe) also got approval through the board in the same meeting, under which students will be enrolled in Ph.D. programmes to work on research ideas proposed by faculty members from different streams.

"Design is very important in using the final product... If I am making a tool, let's say a bomb detection device, I must keep in mind where the mechanism will be hidden, where the buttons would be, how would one hold it," Institute's Director V. Ramgopal Rao told reporters.

He emphasised that the designs would not be an abstract exercise but be instrumental in making the end product un-clumsy.

The announcements were made two days ahead of the institute's convocation which will be held on Saturday and will be addressed by President Ram Nath Kovind.

The Department of Design, which will offer degrees in Bachelors, Masters and Ph.Ds, is scheduled to start its operation in 2018-2019, along with the SIRe.

Rao said the institute was also helping Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) aspirants through tutorial videos uploaded on the Swayam Prabha channels of the central government, under the newly-launched Professor-Assisted Learning (PAL) programme.

"Many aspirants, especially girls, are not allowed to go to Kota (Rajasthan) or such places for coaching by their parents. So, we have initiated this programme so that aspirants do not have to go to expensive classes at remote places," he said.

The response to the tutorial videos had been very good, Rao said, adding that soon they would be roping in IIT students also to include a question-answer element in the videos, as desired by many beneficiaries.

On the day of convocation, the institute will award a total of 1,941 degrees, including 306 Ph.Ds, up from last year's 264.

-- IANS

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