Sonia constituency's tryst with fashion today

Amid the arid wastes of Rae Bareli, an exotic orchid is about to bloom.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi is to travel to her constituency tomorrow to inaugurate the Rae Bareli branch of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). Son and MP from adjoining Amethi, Rahul, will accompany her.

Set up after the exertions of Minister of Textiles Shankarsinh Vaghela, the proposal was approved in January 2007 with support from the Centre.

"The need for setting up of a NIFT centre in UP was long felt. It was observed that more than 50 per cent of applications to NIFT were received from northern region, UP contributing to more than 50 per cent of this. Against this, only 23 per cent of the seats were being offered to the region at its only centre in New Delhi. The opening of the centre is expected to correct this mismatch and ease the pressure for accommodating the students coming from the northern part of India. The institute will initially function from Vidya Mandir School in ITI Campus, Rae Bareli," a NIFT press release said.

The centre will start functioning from 2007-08. The first set of public exams for the admissions will be held in April this year. Four-year undergraduate courses on Fashion and Lifestyle Accessories (Specialisation in Home Accessories and Lifestyle Products) and Fashion and Apparel (Fashion Design) will be offered to the successful candidates.

The next step: direct Rae Bareli-Paris flights, perhaps?