Government is Planning to Start Full-Time Courses By 2019 in UP Institute Of Design
design
In a bid to give a contemporary touch to various handicrafts and boost indigenous crafts in Uttar Pradesh, the state government is planning to start proper and full-time courses in the UP Institute of Design by 2019.

"We plan to start proper and full-time courses from the UP Institute of Design, Lucknow, by 2019. At present, there are certificate courses being run in the institute, which comes under the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises," chairperson of the UP Institute of Design, Kshipra Shukla told PTI today.

She said that the institute will offer degree courses to students.

"The institute will offer undergraduate degree, post- graduate degree and PG diploma to the students. Apart from this, there are also plans to introduce one-year certificate courses for working professionals. In addition to this, plans are on the anvil to introduce short-term courses for entrepreneurs," Shukla said.

She informed that the stress is on providing job-oriented courses. "There are plans to start courses in visual merchandising and fashion journalism," she said.

The institute will also endeavour to help the artisans and budding artisans in designing and marketing of their products.

"Soon we are going to organise a meeting of local artisans and the national and state awardees, so that the awardees can share their experience with the artisans. We are also in touch with the Union ministry of textiles, so that the weavers come to us. Plans are on to organise a divisional commission-wise camps for the weavers," she said.

Expressing confidence that the UPID will become almost on a par with NIFT and NID, Shukla said, "In the next five years, I am confident that UP Institute of Design will become almost on a par with NIFT and NID. The UPID will conduct entrance examinations for admission into the institute. UPID will be UP's own institute of design."

The chairperson also informed that the institute will also emphasise on intellectual exchange (among students and artisans) between various handicrafts of India and other countries.

"The glass work of Firozabad is heavy, as compared to Turkey, which is comparatively light. Through the interactive meets, an effort will be made to give international exposure to the local artisans, so that they can gain from the global perspective. Similarly, there is Lakhnavi chikan and Pakistan chikan. Then there are carpets from Bhadohi and from Afghanistan," she said.

"Subsequently, the UPID will help its students in forming a start-up and online marketing of their products. Our endeavour is to reach every village of the state. We will also take the market to the artisans of east UP, if they are unable to come to the market," she said.