November 26, 2019
Mala Roy speaks on The National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Respected Madam, designating National Institute of Design in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Haryana as institutions of national importance was a recommendation of the Standing Committee report which has now been incorporated into this Bill.
The amendment will bring about the change as these institutes will now be able to award their degrees and diplomas. This did not exist before as these institutes were registered under the Society Registration Act, 1860. Thus, it is a welcome Amendment as was suggested by the committee. It will encourage more students to take up design courses in various sectors and build skilled professionals in our country.
This Bill has gone through its due Parliamentary procedure and has taken note of the recommendation from stakeholders. It has provisions that are beneficial to all. We would like to emphasise that this procedure should be followed for all Bills that require special scrutiny in Parliament.
The Standing Committee has also recommended that the chairperson of the governing council of the institute should be an academician from the field of design only. Currently, a chairperson maybe an eminent academician, scientist, technologist, professional or industrialist to be nominated by the minister or the President of India. It is vital that the government also bring about this amendment before this Bill becomes an Act. This Bill will make design courses more inclusive and will bring forth the revolution in design in India. With the institutes receiving the status, the rich culture and heritage of India along with modernisation will have a larger scope to flourish and create innovation.
I would also like to point out that the importance of this designing a relevant curriculum framework in national design institutes. This will prepare students for the dynamic modern industry of design being in sync with the industry and its ever changing needs should be a crucial aspect of the core structure at this institute. Greater attention should be paid to the crafts industry, including tribal art forms. NID students should have options to specialize in these areas. This will give a much needed boost to MSMEs in the country.
Speaker Madam, before I conclude, I must address two crucial issues.
First, we must realise that we have made a mockery of our institutions, as we are declaring non existing institutes as ‘institutions of eminence’ like the yet-to-be-constructed Jio University.
Secondly, it is my duty to highlight the current situation of India greatest institute of national importance which is Visva Bharati University in the state of West Bengal. Kabiguru Rabindranath Thakur had said in this last letter to Mahatma Gandhi, that Visva Bharati is like the vessel carrying the cargo of my life, and I hope it may claim special care from my country men for its preservation.
It is with great dismay that I say Rabindranath’s greatest desire Visva Bharati University being compromised today with the deployment of the CISF Parliamentary forces on its premises due to the administration’s unreadiness to respond to the needs of their own students.
I urge the government, specially the Home Ministry to resist from deploying Parliamentary forces at the drop of a hat and preserve our crowned jewels, preserve our children’s lives, preserve the future of this great nation, preserve the dream that Tagore had.
Thank you Madam.
