News

Volume 8 Issue 8 - November 15, 2011

Report on setting up of the institute on universal design awaited

A Task Force that was set up by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (M.S.J.E.) to work out the details of the proposed National Centre for Universal Design and Barrier Free Environment (N.C.U.D.B.E.) is still in the process of preparing a report on the project.

The Task Force is headed by Professor Samir K. Brahmachari, Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (C.S.I.R.) and includes other members from National Institute of Design (N.I.D.), Ahmedabad; School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi and one nominee each from the Central Government’s Departments of Telecommunication and Information Technology.

The last meeting of the Task Force was held on October 19, 2011. It was decided that the institute will be called the Indian Institute of Inclusive and Universal Design (I.I.I.U.D.) and that it would be mentored by I.I.T. and C.S.I.R.

The institute would have its own governing body and would be under the financial support of M.S.J.E. The Planning Commission has decided to allocate Rs. 500 crore for the project.