NID, IITs may form design body

Twelve premiere institutes including National Institute of Design (NID), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Mumbai and Guwahati, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi, agreed to form an alliance called Indian Design Institutions Alliance (IDIA).

"IDIA will represent the design institutes across the country," said Darlie Koshy, executive director, NID.

The alliance, which may be registered in form of a society, will be formalised at the next meeting scheduled in October at IIT Delhi. "All the design institutes were earlier like islands. It is for the first time that such an alliance has been formed," he added.

A common design entrance test for the institutes will be chalked out in the meeting at Delhi. "We will try to formulate a common test in the October for design institutes," he said adding it might be finalised for 2007 intake.

"It was agreed that there is a need for a common design test on the lines of CAT, the module which has to be worked out. At present, there are different tests, four IITs follow CEED (Common Entrance Exam for Design) while NID have their own test system," said head of Industrial Design Centre, SPA, Delhi.

It was also decided to form working groups to work on different design issues. The working groups will formulate a digital library and resources directory, that will pool resources and share information among the design institutes.

The working group will also focus on forming collaborative programme such as organising workshop of foundation courses, faculty development initiatives, faculty exchange programmes and curricula and courseware.

An action plan for increasing the output of design, improving the quality of design education and addressing the faculty issues was discussed.

The group also plans to jointly work on projects and form an 'influential group'. "These institutes can form an influential group to jointly work on a project and share their expertise," said Koshy.

Also, NID plans to involve industry resources as faculties in the institute.

Other institutes that participated in the meet are Institute of Crafts & Design, Jaipur, Integrated Learning in Management, New Delhi, D J Academy of Design, Coimbatore, M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, Pearl Academy of Fashion, Garware Institute of Education, Pune, Wigan & Leigh College, New Delhi.