National design policy soon: Kamal Nath

To standardise and spread design education in the country, the central government will soon come up with a national design policy, which includes setting up of a national design council.

"We will soon be coming out with a national design policy which will include setting a national design council, a good design selection system, to encourage optimal use of design by industries and other sectors along with a roadmap for standardising and spreading design education," union minister for commerce & industry Kamal Nath said. He was in the city to lay the foundation stone of National Institute of Design's (NID) PG campus at Gandhinagar.

Apart from the expansion of NID's activities, there will also be coordinated programmes in the leading universities and institutes such as IITs and NITs and also with ITIs and technical skill institutes, to formulate the policy. The policy will also outline a framework for the recognition, registration and advancement of the design profession.

Explaining the need for expansion, Ajay Dua, secretary, Industrial Policy & Promotion and NID chairman said in last 45 years of existence, NID has produced 3,000 designers. The Institute now has an intake 250 students "� 75 UG students and 175 PG students, which it aims to increase to 1,200 by year 2011-2012.

NID is also contemplating to offer five seats for international students from the developing countries. The PG programmes at the Gandhinagar campus will focus on breakthrough design innovations of faculties and students. It will be set up on 15-acre of land provided by the state government, at an estimated cost of Rs 19.5 crore in three phases.

It will also have Jewellery Design Centre, Automobile Design Centre, Geo-Visualisation Centre and PG programmes of Lifestyle Accessory Design, Transportation and Automobile Design and the Information Design along with residential space for faculties and students.

The first phase of construction is expected to be completed by March next year while, the second and third phases are expected to conclude in the first three years of the 11th plan.