Policy Update
Pranathi Poreddy
BACKGROUND
National Initiative for Design Innovation is a scheme set up by the Department of Higher Studies, Ministry of Education, in March 2014. The main aim of the scheme is to promote innovation, invention and design to contribute to improving the standard of living. Twenty DESIGN INNOVATION CENTERS (DIC), were set up in Government Institutions like IITs, NITs, IIITs and IISc and other State Institutions throughout the country, as a part of the Scheme.
The programs of Open Design School, National Design Innovation Network and e-kalpa III were also implemented. With a series of programs such as Workshops, Online seminars, and webinars, information regarding design innovation is disseminated with the help of expert patrons of the industry. The Scheme also collaborated with projects and assisted in patenting, financial assistance and resource allocation for the same.
OBJECTIVES
- To promote a culture of innovation and design to foster the skills of problem-solving
- To encourage a symbiotic relationship between emerging businesses in the economy with research laboratories and Government Institutions.
- To create a platform for students to commercialise their designs.
- To assist in acquiring patents, securing the Intellectual Property Rights, and financing the operations.
- To facilitate and streamline the procedure for Students to take their innovations and designs to the marketplace.
- To facilitate interdisciplinary design-focused education, research, and entrepreneurial activities in order to create commercial opportunities and build partnerships between academics and industry.
- To expedite and further the process of replication of such programmes in other educational institutions across the country.
- To create a chain of programmes encompassing the business community and creators.
- To foster inclusivity within innovation in the start-up models.
FUNCTIONING OF THE POLICY :
THE DESIGN INNOVATION CENTERS.
Twenty Design Innovation Centers were established in premium educational institutions across the nation to further the objectives of the scheme. These centers primarily focus on Research and Development and assist in the innovation process, whose ultimate goal is to drive societal progress.
The ‘hubs’ present in DICs serve as a platform for emerging innovators to connect and work with mentors, utilising the resources provided by the institutions. These centers promote and process the ideas of students and citizens, while also serving as an incubator center for budding startups. DIC centers also conduct national conferences, ‘ABHIKALPANA’ , to foster the dissemination of information on design innovation. These centers integrate innovators, NGOs, and financiers and furthermore organise workshops and seminars to stimulate diverse and inclusive pedagogy in institutions. In this instance, the DIC at IIT Bombay works as a pioneer in revolutionising the curriculum. They provide the students with an ID 401 minor course, through which innovation is paired with solving real-world problems.
OPEN DESIGN SCHOOL
The Open Design School is an initiative in the National Innovation Development Initiative that combines practical knowledge with theoretical expertise. The structure of this institution enables ground-level hands-on experience to its attendees, which prepares them for the real-life application of their designs. 30% of the learning is facilitated through MOOCs( Massive Open Online Courses) theory, and 70% is done through practical work with the help of project works, which are guided by mentors.
The substantial advancement in ODS as compared to other learning portals is that it is a self-paced initiative, with nominal costs, and can be accessed online. It encourages larger participation and inclusivity of people with social and economic constraints. The ODS functions through the SWAYAM portal, NPTEL portal, developed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Essential feedback is provided in these classes to ensure optimum productivity and enthusiasm. The ODS also enables networking between start-up founders and prospective funders.
NATIONAL DESIGN INNOVATION NETWORK
The National Design Innovation Network is a program under the NIDI, which endeavours to establish a network between the ODS, industry enterprises, NGOs, and the Ministry. The primary objective of this initiative in the present scenario is involvement in global collaboration and networking to increase the access and inclusivity of design innovation. It links all the aspects of NIDI, the DICs, the ODSs and other programmes undertaken under the policy to create an organisational grid through which information and ideas can be exchanged. The Forthcoming plan of this programme is to develop into the National Knowledge Network, encompassing the interdisciplinary development in Academia in India.
APPLICABILITY OF THE POLICY
The policy is based on 20 publicly funded premium education institutions in India. It is a nationwide programme with the ultimate objective of enhancing the standard of living through the consumption of refined, developed, and innovative products. It assists in infrastructural development as well as financial funding for startups pertaining to design technology.
The Applicability of the policy lies in its ability to assist, streamline, and simplify the process of accessing patents and Intellectual Property Rights for the original innovations by creators. 260 projects were promoted through the police,y and the policy assisted the patent grants filed for over 67 projects and over 2000 innovative products and their production are supported through this initiative.
The policy also enables the licensing of companies, which promotes their production, selling and further research and development of products. These functions, with the network provided, will further enhance and expedite the innovative business enterprises.
DRAWBACKS OF THE POLICY
The major drawback of the policy is the discrepancy in its budget allocation for the programs under it. A budget of 10 crores is allotted to every DIC. However, there is no specific allocation for districts, which hinders the dispersal of growth in certain geographical areas. Emergence of DICs in particular institutions in India like IITs and IISc, effectively makes use of the available infrastructure; on the other hand, it curbs the growth and inception of enhanced infrastructure. Additionally, there is a limitation in the working of DICs, as the concentration is greater in the northern and northeastern India, with only two centers pertaining to southern India.
For further and advanced pervasiveness of this initiative, private education institutions could be made a stakeholders and centers could be set up for better and optimal access to people from all socio-economic and geographical backgrounds.
WAY FORWARD
The ideal future goals for this policy would be to increase the reach and expand it, to make the benefits provided more accessible, to foster participation and representation. This would contribute to the betterment of the overall standard of living, as it would elevate the individual standard, as well as make them self-reliant.
Another lucrative objective would be to strengthen their connection with Innovators and Investors across the industries to further stimulate networking and better opportunities for the design makers and students. The initiative should prioritise support, co-operation, and guidance to small-scale and cottage industry owners to revive the industry and stabilise the manufacturing and production sector. Refurbishing and rejuvenating already existing models with advanced designs will prove profitable to small business owners.
REFERENCES
1. Press Information Bureau. (2022, January 14). Status of NIDI. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1794747
2. Ministry of Education. (2015, September). Minutes of meeting: Project Board Approval of NIDI. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/upload_document/NIDI-PAB-4-min.pdf
3. Indian Century. (2022, February 5). National Initiative for Design Innovation is on course. https://www.indiancentury.in/2022/02/05/national-initiative-for-design-innovation-is-on-course/
4. School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. (n.d.). Design Innovation Center. https://spa.ac.in/research/research-centres/design-innovation-centre-dic
5. Ministry of Education. (n.d.). National Initiative for Design Innovation. https://www.education.gov.in/en/national-initiative-design-innovation-0
About the contributor: Pranathi Poreddy, is a research intern at IMPRI India. She is currently pursuing BA LLB (Hons.) in Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam.
Acknowledgement: The author sincerely thanks Aasthaba Jadeja and other IMPRI fellows for their valuable contribution.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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