Lok Sabha clears National Institute of Design Bill

Syllabus subtopic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

News: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019, declaring the NIDs in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Assam Institutions of National Importance.

Prelims and Mains focus: about the National Institute of Design (NID) and their significance, about Societies Registration Act, Institute of National Importance

Background: The Rajya Sabha had cleared the Bill during the previous session. Earlier, these institutes came under the Societies Registration Act and did not have the power to issue degrees or diplomas.

Suggestions given by MPs

• The country lacks in research and training infrastructure and students passing out of NID may experience a major gap in the education provided and the global standards.
• The private industry should be in sync with these institutes to cater to the dynamic consumer needs. The gap in education needed to be addressed.
• The NID governing council to have a representative from the Tribal Affairs Ministry.

• The demand of every State having a design institute, and scholarships to be provided for women, SC and ST students

• The private industry should be in sync with these institutes to cater to the dynamic consumer needs. The gap in education needed to be addressed.

About National Institute of Design

• The National Institute of Design was established based on the recommendations of the Eames Report. It was established as an autonomous all-India body in September 1961 at Ahmedabad in association with the Ford Foundation and the Sarabhai family.
• Over the years, the National Institute of Design has emerged as an internationally finest educational and research institutions for Industrial, Communication, Textile and IT Integrated (Experiential) Design. It works as an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The National Institute of Design has been declared ‘Institution of National Importance’ by the Act of Parliament, by virtue of the National Institute of Design Act 2014.

Societies Registration Act, 1860

Indian NGOs mainly comes under three segments – Societies, Trusts, Charitable Companies.

• Societies: Societies have to register under The Societies Registration Act,1860.
• Trusts: Private trusts are registered under the central government’s Indian Trusts Act, 1882, and public ones are registered under the state legislation concerned.
• Charitable companies: They are set up according to section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013. For charitable companies, the compliance requirements are high, as loans and advances are easily available to them compared to a trust or a society. They have to even pay Income tax under IT act 196

Institute of national importance (INI)

• It is a status that is conferred to a premier public higher education institution in India by an act of parliament, an institution which serves as a pivotal player in developing highly skilled personnel within the country.
• INI status is conferred by UGC and they recieve special recognition and funding. Examples of INI are IIT'S , AIIMS, NIT'S etc.
  

Reasons supporting autonomy:
1) The institute can design their course and curriculum free form any governmental control. These days governments try to project their ideologies in the course offered to students.
2) These institutions can adopt the best global practises by hiring international faculty and experts without any restrictions and red tapism.
3) The course curriculum so designed can be to the best of market demands and highly job oriented in nature. Further more opportunities of R&D can be provided which can help so what to retain the brain drain from the country.
4) India does not have any institution other than IISC in top 100 ranking of global institutes in the world, such a step will further include more institutions and universities thereby attracting foreign students to its campuses.

Reasons against autonomy:
1) Lack of administrative control: lack of government participation will mean the administration through its own high hand will frame policies that could be agaisnt the weaker and backward section of the society.
2) Misappropriation of funds: Since funds will be to the mercy of administrators , these funds could be utilized for other purposes. E.g foreign tour for faculty would also include the faculty members family etc.
3) This autonomy could further lead to inequality regarding educational standards in the country creating a further huge gap in the educational standards and employment opportunities. This could also lead to more suicides in the country where students aspire for top notch institutes and they cannot bear the pressure securing seats in such institutions. E.g. Kota suicides.

Though autonomy is a brave step to notch up the educational standards in the country, certain steps need to be recalibrated to make the scheme more effective that gives the fruitful and desired results.