Pearl to set up campus in Kukas

The Pearl Academy of Fashion (PAF) is setting up its first residential campus in Kukas, Jaipur, with an outlay of more than Rs 30 crore.

PAF Group Director AKG Nair said Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil would lay the foundation stone of the PAF campus, coming up at the 3.28 acre plot in Kukas near Jaipur, on January 29.

Nair said: "With the new campus slated to be functional by January 2008, the Pearl Academy of Fashion, Jaipur campus is aiming to create an environmentally responsive habitat for the students. It will be a modern campus with facilities to train 600 students in the areas of fashion, textile and jewellery designing. It will also have hostel facility for about 200 students."

Citing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent comments on need for the Northern region states to invest in higher and technical education, Nair said the new campus at Kukas will try to boost entrepreneurship and provide international career opportunities to women in Rajasthan.

He said PAF would put in all efforts to involve youth of Rajasthan in promoting textile crafts of the state at international forums.

According to the government statistics, the northern region, including Rajasthan, lags behind the national average in areas of vocational education, entrepreneurship and literacy levels.

According to an independent market survey conducted by Pearl Academy of Fashion, Jaipur last year, 61 per cent of students wanted to pursue higher studies outside Rajasthan, citing inadequate modern education infrastructure for higher education as the primary reason.

"With a bouquet of new generation courses at under-graduate and post-graduate levels; modern infrastructure and amenities, Pearl Academy of Fashion, Kukas will definitely contribute in providing opportunities within Rajasthan," said PAF Jaipur Director Arindam Das.

He said, "Given Rajasthan's growing stature as a potential destination for investment and immense potential for higher education, PAF will strive to promote Jaipur as an international hub for professional and vocational education."

Currently, PAF Jaipur offers three post graduate programmes in the areas of fashion design Indian wear, fashion retail, fashion merchandising.