Institutes can't retain fees if student withdraws from course

Date 4 Jul 2012 13:03:18 IST , Times of India    Tags: Fashion Design Educational institutions cannot retain the tuition fees of a student if he withdraws from a course without attending classes, a consumer forum here has held while asking the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) to refund it to a student. "This forum as well as the Delhi state commission has been taking a consistent view that no institute can be allowed to retain the tuition fee charged by it in case tuition has not been provided or availed. They are only entitled to deduct a token amount for the expenses incurred by them for process of admission," the East District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has said. The forum presided by N A Zaidi gave its order on the complaint of city resident Rajesh Aggarwal that he had deposited to NIFT Rs 51,750 as the tuition fees for the admission of his daughter, who, however, was not able to attend classes and had withdrawn from the institute. But the NIFT refunded him Rs 25,000 only, forfeiting Rs 26,750 of his daughter's tuition fees, said Aggarwal in his complaint. The forum pointed out to the NIFT that even as per the University Grants Commission's guidelines, an institute can only deduct a token amount of Rs 1,000 towards expenses of admission process and not retain the tuition fees and asked NIFT to refund Rs 25,750. "Keeping in view general guidelines issued by the UGC and the judicial pronouncements, we find that NIFT is not entitled to forfeit the amount of Rs 26,750 and they are only entitled to deduct admission process expenses of Rs 1,000 from the total deposit amount of Rs 51,750. "We therefore, direct NIFT to refund to the complainant (Aggarwal) a further amount of Rs 25,750," the forum said. In its defence, the NIFT had argued that it is an autonomous institute and that Aggarwal had been informed at the time of admission that if his daughter withdraws from the course only 50 per cent of the tuition fees would be refunded.

NID framework to assess its performance

The National Institute of Design (NID) was conceived to train and create design professionals, undertake research and publication activities and promote design awareness. But has the premier design institute fulfilled the goals it set out to achieve?

So far, there was no evaluation system to check the institute’s performance but, starting this academic year, the NID has formed a results-framework document (RFD) to assess its own performance across various parameters at the end of the academic year.

As per the document, which has been uploaded online, it has two purposes __ moving the focus of the organisation from process orientation to results orientation and also to provide an objective and fair basis to evaluate the organisation’s overall performance.

The NID’s evaluation system is in keeping with the prime minister’s recent approval to an outline ofPerformance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) for government departments. Under PMES, each department is required to prepare a Results-Framework

Document (RFD). A RFD provides a summary of the most important results that an organisation expects to achieve during the financial year.

Institute director Pradyumna Vyas said the document would help to focus on priority areas.

Some of the important aspects included in the RFD are providing graduate diploma programme in design (GDPD) education, provide sector-specific post graduate diploma programme in design, offer sustainable design intervention and consultancy to industry, MSME and the crafts sector.

Different criterion have been allotted weightage in terms of percentage. As per the RFD, a score of 100 is excellent, while 98 is very good, 95 good, 90 fair and 85 poor.

As per the online document available, it seeks to address three issues - main objectives of the organisation for the year, actions proposed to achieve these objectives and measures to know progress made in implementing these actions.

National Institute of Design bags three national awards for publication design

Date 27 Jun 2012 15:58:10 IST , Times of India    Tags: Fashion Design


The National Institute of Design  (NID)'s two in-house magazines got national awards for publication design at ICE Awards held in Mumbai. As per the Research and Publications Department officials, NID had participated in the ICE Awards Competition for In-house communication excellence. The ICE awards are given to in-house journals and magazines in any language from any part of the world. There are seven different categories in the competition. This year there were 675 entries sent by corporate giants, educational institutions, NGOS and others from India and 35 entries sent from overseas.

""We sent both the Trellis and D/Signed. While Trellis is a design research journal, D/Signed is a periodical encompassing design industry and good practices. Both our publications were nominated by the jury in three categories. The Trellis was nominated for Best Publication among Educational Institutions and also for the Best Imperative Content . D/Signed was nominated in the best Design and Layout category. We were one of three organizations that were nominated three times so far,"" said Shilpa Das, head, NID Publications.

Some of the other nominees in the other categories were IIT Bombay, Tata Power, Reserve Bank of India, Nabard, Mumbai Police, Mahindra and Mahindra, Sophia College, and Air India among others.

NID officials said that the magazines bagged second prizes in all three categories - Best Journal/Magazine among Educational Institutions, Best Imperative Content and Best Design and Layout. While IIT Bombay's Raintree won in first two categories, Creative Keeda published by Sophia College, Mumbai, won first prize in third category. 

Andhra weaves and motifs in vogue

t a time when the populace is buried in a sea of chiffon, georgette and bling, it's back to roots for city-based designers who are now working with AP weaves and motifs

The runways at various Fashion Weeks across the country may be teeming with models parading couture in fabrics like chiffon and georgette, but cut to mana city and the scene is a little different. Local designers are embracing all things Andhra with a vengeance!

Couture that comes with a Hyderabad label is often born straight out of the local weavers' loom and city designers confess that they'd never look beyond their backyard for both inspiration and raw material because our state has a wealth of weaves, prints and traditional techniques that's ready for national, if not global, attention.

Andhra weaves are being celebrated and how! Sample this: City designer Shravan's latest collection, aptly called 'an Ode to the Weaves and Weavers of AP' features the entire gamut of weaves from Andhra Pradesh. Shashikant Naidu recently created waves at the Lakme Fashion Week with his khadi and kalamkari outfits that celebrated the local yarn and craft. Asmita Marwa dresses up people from all over the country in bright, happy, soda-pop versions of fabrics, weaves and prints that are native to AP. Ganesh Nallari has been working extensively on the ikkats of the region, giving it a new twist each time. In a fashion market where nothing sells better than bridal couture — laden with heavy zardozi, velvets and brocade —Hyderabad's designers have chosen to showcase and revive the rich tradition of hand-woven fabric and motifs of the state.

Threading it together

Andhra Pradesh has a huge treasure trove of traditional handloom, which is exquisite and unique, yet grossly under-explored. In a bid to stand out from the fashion elite and revive the arts, designers have taken to dipping into the motifs and handlooms of the state.

Having recently showcased at the LFW, designer Shashikant Naidu is a self-confessed lover of everything AP when it comes to fashion. "This year at the Fashion Week, I showcased in the category of Indian designers promoting Indian textile. My line extensively used khadi, ikkat and kalamkari. People are generally of the view that khadi is boring. But my job as a designer was to take it to another level and make it commercially viable for the buyer. And that's what I did by fusing khadi and kalamkari, while embellishing it with jewelry used by the Lambada tribe of Andhra Pradesh," says Naidu. Making a name for herself by extensively using kalamkari in her work, designer Asmita Marwa feels a huge sense of pride in showcasing the rich weaving heritage of the state in her ensembles. "I owe my popularity to kalamkari. It was my line at the Fashion Week, where I showcased this ancient fabric art, that got me recognition. People were of the view that the hand-printed cotton textile is blah, because traditionally the colors used were dull and subdued, like beige and browns. But I gave it a modern and contemporary twist by using hues like indigo and green and that's when the perception changed. I used the simple motif of Shiva and Parvati on a dress and it became fashionable," says the designer. Designer Ganesh Nallari too, uses the ikkat design in a contemporary way on his clothes. "I've used the Pochampalli ikkat, but in bold geometric designs. As a designer, my job is to make the ikkat print look different every time I use it. It's a very unique motif and the image is distorted. So, there is a lot one can do with it," explains Nallari.

Meanwhile, Asmita too is working on the ikkat motif. "I've taken the contemporary path with the traditional fabric and motifs and used them on jackets and dresses to give it a twist," explains the designer.

Back to the arts

The revival of the state handloom has seen a resurgence of sorts among weavers and dyers who were slowly giving up the craft to try other means of livelihood. "There was a time when the entire family of weavers and artistes would work together. But over the years, they began to look for other means of livelihood. thanks to the ressurection of prints like the kalamkari however, artistes are now coming back to the fold and reviving the art," says Shashikant. Shravan too voices a similar opinion, saying, "Because of the fashion industry, village artisans now have a livelihood. For instance, I've used weaves like the Guntur checks and Puttapaka where artisans originally earn `400 to `500 per weave. Once converted to couture, the prices rise significantly and boosts their market value."

Marketing mantra

"The market for AP handloom is growing. People have now become aware of the beauty of traditional handloom and are flocking to own a piece," says designer Shravan. Asmita is of the view that celebrity endorsement has seen a new-found love among fashionistas for handloom. "Strong and independent women like Amala Akkineni and Adhuna Akhtar wear my outfits and that in turn has helped in making the weaves and motifs of AP popular," confesses Asmita. "Today, I have people from all over the country coming to my studio to 'own a piece of AP' and that makes me extremely proud," she adds. The designers confess that the client-base is growing not just nationally, but internationally as well. "There are a lot of NRIs who love AP weaves and swear by them," says Naidu. The love for AP handloom is not restricted to the city alone. Delhi-based designer Madhu Jain, whose clientele boasts of names like Maneka Gandhi, visits the state to get work done by local artisans. Known in the fashion world for her contribution in revival of Indian techniques and weaves like kalamkari, kantha, ikkat, among others, Jain has been working with weavers of AP for over two decades now. The designer who travelled to the interiors of remote villages in AP recently to scout for new talent among the local craftsmen and weavers, was quoted as saying, "There are very few weavers left in the country. Their wages are less and there are too many middlemen involved. So they are increasingly giving up on their traditional livelihood of weaving and moving on to other lucrative earning options."

But with the younger lot of designers patronizing local weaves, the future is surely shifting from bleak to 'happily ever after'.

Must-have weaves in your wardrobe this season

-Puttapaka

-Guntur Checks

-Venkatagiri

-Patturi

-Gadwal

-Dharmavaram

-Madhavaram

-Narayan Peth

Designer Shravan says, "I've been in love with AP handlooms since I was a teen and the love story continues. My latest line is an ode to the weaves from the region." People are often of the view that handloom is 'flat', and as a result the use of handloom yarns has declined over the years with chiffon and georgette gaining precedence. But Shravan begs to differ. "truth is that the handloom from the state is bright and colorful. Where else can you find colors like the copper suphate blue of the Mangalgiri? Nowhere. I've used a combination of various weaves like Mangalgiri, Pochampalli, Venkatgiri, etc., to make gowns and resort-wear, apart from saris," he says, adding that he plans to take local weaves to fashion weeks across the globe.

Now an award to encourage young designers

After numerous fashion events come the Design Awards, which will encourage young and aspiring talents in the field of fashion by appreciating their work with an award.

The initiative has been taken by DLF Emporio, a luxury mall in the capital.

"We are extremely proud to announce a platform such as Design Awards for the students who are the stars of tomorrow. It's our delight to bring together the best of creative talents and honour their creativity," said Dinaz Madhukar, vice president, DLF Emporio, in a statement.

The first competition will be held May 16 and the students are selected from a London institute as well as colleges in Delhi, Kolkata and Gandhinagar.

The candidates will be selected by a jury, which has names like Rohit Bal, socialite Priya Sachdev, fashion editor Bandana Tiwari and entrepreneur Mohit Gujral.  <

Andhra weaves and motifs in vogue

At a time when the populace is buried in a sea of chiffon, georgette and bling, it's back to roots for city-based designers who are now working with AP weaves and motifs

The runways at various Fashion Weeks across the country may be teeming with models parading couture in fabrics like chiffon and georgette, but cut to mana city and the scene is a little different. Local designers are embracing all things Andhra with a vengeance!

Couture that comes with a Hyderabad label is often born straight out of the local weavers' loom and city designers confess that they'd never look beyond their backyard for both inspiration and raw material because our state has a wealth of weaves, prints and traditional techniques that's ready for national, if not global, attention.

Andhra weaves are being celebrated and how! Sample this: City designer Shravan's latest collection, aptly called 'an Ode to the Weaves and Weavers of AP' features the entire gamut of weaves from Andhra Pradesh. Shashikant Naidu recently created waves at the Lakme Fashion Week with his khadi and kalamkari outfits that celebrated the local yarn and craft. Asmita Marwa dresses up people from all over the country in bright, happy, soda-pop versions of fabrics, weaves and prints that are native to AP. Ganesh Nallari has been working extensively on the ikkats of the region, giving it a new twist each time. In a fashion market where nothing sells better than bridal couture - laden with heavy zardozi, velvets and brocade -Hyderabad's designers have chosen to showcase and revive the rich tradition of hand-woven fabric and motifs of the state.

Threading it together

Andhra Pradesh has a huge treasure trove of traditional handloom, which is exquisite and unique, yet grossly under-explored. In a bid to stand out from the fashion elite and revive the arts, designers have taken to dipping into the motifs and handlooms of the state.

Having recently showcased at the LFW, designer Shashikant Naidu is a self-confessed lover of everything AP when it comes to fashion. "This year at the Fashion Week, I showcased in the category of Indian designers promoting Indian textile. My line extensively used khadi, ikkat and kalamkari. People are generally of the view that khadi is boring. But my job as a designer was to take it to another level and make it commercially viable for the buyer. And that's what I did by fusing khadi and kalamkari, while embellishing it with jewelry used by the Lambada tribe of Andhra Pradesh," says Naidu. Making a name for herself by extensively using kalamkari in her work, designer Asmita Marwa feels a huge sense of pride in showcasing the rich weaving heritage of the state in her ensembles. "I owe my popularity to kalamkari. It was my line at the Fashion Week, where I showcased this ancient fabric art, that got me recognition. People were of the view that the hand-printed cotton textile is blah, because traditionally the colors used were dull and subdued, like beige and browns. But I gave it a modern and contemporary twist by using hues like indigo and green and that's when the perception changed. I used the simple motif of Shiva and Parvati on a dress and it became fashionable," says the designer. Designer Ganesh Nallari too, uses the ikkat design in a contemporary way on his clothes. "I've used the Pochampalli ikkat, but in bold geometric designs. As a designer, my job is to make the ikkat print look different every time I use it. It's a very unique motif and the image is distorted. So, there is a lot one can do with it," explains Nallari.

Meanwhile, Asmita too is working on the ikkat motif. "I've taken the contemporary path with the traditional fabric and motifs and used them on jackets and dresses to give it a twist," explains the designer.

Back to the arts

The revival of the state handloom has seen a resurgence of sorts among weavers and dyers who were slowly giving up the craft to try other means of livelihood. "There was a time when the entire family of weavers and artistes would work together. But over the years, they began to look for other means of livelihood. thanks to the ressurection of prints like the kalamkari however, artistes are now coming back to the fold and reviving the art," says Shashikant. Shravan too voices a similar opinion, saying, "Because of the fashion industry, village artisans now have a livelihood. For instance, I've used weaves like the Guntur checks and Puttapaka where artisans originally earn `400 to `500 per weave. Once converted to couture, the prices rise significantly and boosts their market value."

Marketing mantra

"The market for AP handloom is growing. People have now become aware of the beauty of traditional handloom and are flocking to own a piece," says designer Shravan. Asmita is of the view that celebrity endorsement has seen a new-found love among fashionistas for handloom. "Strong and independent women like Amala Akkineni and Adhuna Akhtar wear my outfits and that in turn has helped in making the weaves and motifs of AP popular," confesses Asmita. "Today, I have people from all over the country coming to my studio to 'own a piece of AP' and that makes me extremely proud," she adds. The designers confess that the client-base is growing not just nationally, but internationally as well. "There are a lot of NRIs who love AP weaves and swear by them," says Naidu. The love for AP handloom is not restricted to the city alone. Delhi-based designer Madhu Jain, whose clientele boasts of names like Maneka Gandhi, visits the state to get work done by local artisans. Known in the fashion world for her contribution in revival of Indian techniques and weaves like kalamkari, kantha, ikkat, among others, Jain has been working with weavers of AP for over two decades now. The designer who travelled to the interiors of remote villages in AP recently to scout for new talent among the local craftsmen and weavers, was quoted as saying, "There are very few weavers left in the country. Their wages are less and there are too many middlemen involved. So they are increasingly giving up on their traditional livelihood of weaving and moving on to other lucrative earning options."

But with the younger lot of designers patronizing local weaves, the future is surely shifting from bleak to 'happily ever after'.

Must-have weaves in your wardrobe this season

-Puttapaka

-Guntur Checks

-Venkatagiri

-Patturi

-Gadwal

-Dharmavaram

-Madhavaram

-Narayan Peth

Designer Shravan says, "I've been in love with AP handlooms since I was a teen and the love story continues. My latest line is an ode to the weaves from the region." People are often of the view that handloom is 'flat', and as a result the use of handloom yarns has declined over the years with chiffon and georgette gaining precedence. But Shravan begs to differ. "truth is that the handloom from the state is bright and colorful. Where else can you find colors like the copper suphate blue of the Mangalgiri? Nowhere. I've used a combination of various weaves like Mangalgiri, Pochampalli, Venkatgiri, etc., to make gowns and resort-wear, apart from saris," he says, adding that he plans to take local weaves to fashion weeks across the globe.  <

KV uniform gets NIFT makeover

Junking their 50-year-old navy blue and white uniform, 10 lakh students across 1,087 Kendriya Vidyalayas will don a designer uniform from this academic session. Checkered shirts with an interplay of red, white, grey and blue matched with grey bottoms, customised accessories, besides leggings and hooded sweatshirts for winter will be part of the makeover at the Central government-run schools. Designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), the uniform retains blue in the checkered tops in keeping with the KV identity, while red has been added for vibrancy and white and grey to give a sense of formal wear, sources said. The NIFT has recommended a cotton-polyester mix fabric with options of a warmer fabric for schools in hilly areas. The new uniform is being introduced ahead of the golden jubilee year of KVs in 2013. Girls will wear the uniform in three styles — those in class I and II will sport checkered tunics with red collars, while those in classes III to VIII will wear checkered shirts with grey divided skirts. Girls in class IX to XII will wear kurtis/kameez with a trouser-salwar designed to ensure comfort and functionality. The boys will wear shirts with shorts in junior schools and half-sleeve shirts with trousers in senior classes, along with a necktie. Currently, girls wear white blouse/navy blue skirt, and salwar-kameez in senior classes while boys have white shirt and navy blue shorts for juniors and trousers for seniors. Customised accessories like belts, socks and hair bands will complement the overall colour scheme to enhance the “contemporary” look of the uniform. The winter uniform will have hooded sweatshirts for junior classes and without hoods for seniors. Jackets and waistcoats are being considered by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS). On the advice of NIFT, the KVs will get rid of the white sports uniform. It will instead opt for colorful T-shirts, sources confirmed. Soon to be approved by the KVS Board of Governors, the new uniform will cost the same as the existing one. “All class I students joining this year have been asked to purchase the new uniform, which will be available after the summer vacation. For all other classes, old and new uniforms will continue to stay in vogue alongside until two years. The full switch to the new uniforms will be effected by July 2014,” said an official. NIFT conducted a survey in KVs across 10 regions before coming up with the new design. Acceding to popular demand, necktie will be part of the new uniform.