Note: Due to administrative reasons we are not conducting IICD Written Entrance Tests at Bengaluru center for the Admissions 2012-13. Those students who have opted for Bengaluru Examination Center have been allotted examination center of their second choice.

1. UG Sample Paper(Click on the text to Download)

2. PG Sample Paper(Click on the text to Download)

For more details pl. follow to this link Admission 2012-13

Ist Illustrated Lecture By Dr. B. N. Goswamy on “THE SENSE OF WONDER: The traditional Indian Painter and his work”

IICD with support of Ambuja Educational Institute had initiated a lecture series by eminent and pioneer personalities. The main aim of lectures being, to share the experience of the eminent personalities from different walks of life, to sensitize and inspire the younger generation towards a greater understanding of social and cultural ethos.
The first lecture of the series took place on 17th March 2012 at IICD campus, on the topic “THE SENSE OF WONDER: The traditional Indian Painter and his work by Dr. B N Goswamy. The lecture was attended by Shri Suresh Neotia, Chairman, IICD, distinguished Governing Council members of IICD Mrs Rathi Vinay Jha, Mr.P K laheri, Mr. M P Ranjan, Mr. Dileep Baid and students and faculty members of IICD and various other reputed Institutes of Rajasthan. Apart from these many artists, senior bureaucrats and dignified individuals from Jaipur city were also present. The lecture was also attended by number of artisans from Dausa and Bassi region of Rajasthan. The total number of audience was around four hundred.

The event was managed and co-ordinated by students of IICD. The students took active participation by helping in the process of registration, as volunteers and in decoration etc. MoC of the event was Anushri Chordia, PG Student who welcomed the chief guest and others on dice. It was followed by lightning of lamp by all the Governing Council members, and Saraswati Vandana by students. Chairman then felicitated Dr. Goswamy by presenting a stole and flower bouquet.

Shri Suresh Neotia, Chairman, IICD, and Padma Bhushan awardee delivered welcome speech in which he addressed the students community and explained that the main purpose of conducting the lecture series is to inspire the students community towards better understanding of crafts. He said that the experiences of the eminent personalities will help them to attain a better understanding about society and cultural dimensions. He also introduced Dr. Goswamy and expressed his thank to Dr. Goswamy for accepting his invitation to visit IICD and address the students community.

A brief about Dr. Goswamy’s profile was delivered by students too. Dr. Goswamy is a distinguished art historian, and professor emeritus of the History of Art at the Punjab University, Chandigarh. The recipient of many honours and fellowships, he has been visiting professor at some of the leading universities of the world, including Berkeley, Pennsylvania,  and Zurich. He has published extensively. His work covers a wide range, and is regarded, especially in the area of Indian painting. Professor Goswamy was honoured with Padma Shri in the year 1998 and Padma Bhushan in 2008 for his contribution in the field of culture.

The lecture was illustrated with the help of number of painting slides. By the help of slides Dr. Goswamy illustrated the tiniest of details of each painting and bit by bit came alive details which were not possible to be tracked by simple observation of the paintings. Dr. Goswamy  illustrated that  the average viewer tends to give small-scale works perfunctory attention, without the requisite detailing. Much as one would read between the lines of a novel, the observer has to make an effort to read the paintings. With the help of detailed explanation and deep observation, Dr. Goswamy suggested just how such individual perceptions and strategies of seeing can be developed, to access directly the language of the artists.

The audience was spell bound and gave a very positive response to Dr. Goswamy’s speech.

Dr. Goswamy was also very happy with the management of the event and expressed his satisfaction after the event.  

The second illustrative lecture of the series will be announced shortly.

Craft Council of India(CCI) conducted its national meet at IICD Jaipur on 26th and 27th March 2012.
The theme of the meet was regarding higher education for artisans and was attended by the members of CCI from various states, master craftspersons and some renowned individuals from Jaipur .
Ms. Kasturi Gupta Menon, Mr. Ashok Chatterjee, Mr. B B Bhasin, Ms. Vidya Shastry, Ms. Gita Ram, Ms. Lalitha Parshad, Mr. Awadesh Pandey and Mr. Nand Kishore Verma to name a few were present.

A presentation about IICD was also given by Director, Dr. S K Bhardwaj.  The members also interacted with the artisans wards studying at IICD and were impressed with the products displayed by them. During the meet IICD and CCI discussed that there are various ways in which both can collaborate and work together in the area of research, education and training.

It is very easy to locate the IICD campus in Jaipur; it’s a green oasis in the otherwise parched institutional area. With a quaint and understated building, lush green lawns and shady trees, the first thing one notice’s about the campus is its serenity. With a hillock behind, it makes up for quite a picturesque view. In this calm and quiet atmosphere the new generation of India is getting connected to its roots through crafts.

What are crafts? And what is their relevance in our lives? These are some frequently asked questions. Defining craft is a very complex task. According to Prof. M. P. Ranjan, Professor NID and one of the co-creators of IICD describes ‘crafts’ in a specific sense as, “those activities that deal with the conversion of specific materials into products, using primarily hand skills with simple tools and employing the local traditional wisdom of craft processes.” He further adds,” Such activities usually?? from the core economic activity of a community of people called ‘craftsmen’.”

To understand the relevance of craft we have to understand the context in which it exists. Seventy percent of the population of India reside in rural areas and are involved directly or indirectly to agrarian practices. However, the GDP contribution from farming is reducing consistently every year because the growth potentials are not capitalized properly.

Mr. B.K. Thapliyal of National Institute of Rural Development said while contextualizing the present scenario: “Mahatma Gandhi said that India lives in villages and the country’s progress, the development should begin from villages. It was obvious that after independence, rural development become one of the important components of the planned development strategies of the country. With seventy percent of our people living in rural India and thirty percent amongst them being below poverty line, it is a mammoth task to achieve inclusive growth for all. Agriculture is the main source of living for two third of them, with eighty percent amongst them having small and marginal holdings and therefore majority of them unable to generate minimum required income and thus remain poor. Besides there are considerable number of landless agriculture laborers who live in abject poverty.” Thus, crafts as an alternative or additional economic activity provide an opportunity for these people to have a sustainable livelihood. “

Crafts have also become, for many, a way of showcasing their cultural identity and richness; a way to assert their identity in the multifaceted modern India. ‘Crafts’ can be looked into from different aspects, from an economic activity to souvenirs of our cultural identity. Crafts also offer a psychological perspective to its makers.

To quote Mr. Mehta, the founder of IICD and former Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan “As we get more rootless, we crave more to discover our roots. Crafts, in many ways connect us to our roots. As we become more nomadic due to globalization, cultural products and practices will become more and more important in our lives.”

Therefore it’s no co-incidence that IICD is located in Jaipur. A city which boasts of not only a rich heritage but today is one of the most important centers for crafts. The city annually attracts tourists, buyers and retailers and exporters internationally for the very same reason. IICD was set up by the Government of Rajasthan in the year 1995. The mandate was to contribute to the crafts sector.

Mr. J A Panchal and Mr. M P Ranjan in their feasibility report while envisioning the institution wrote, “It is in order to generate a new cadre of highly motivated and creatively oriented design – techno- managers in sufficient numbers that this institution needs to be broad based in its constitutions and its activities. All the existing agencies currently working in the area of crafts promotion and development would be greatly benefited from drawing on this trained human resource which would provide them with the kind of specifically trained competence that is not available in the country today. The creative facilitators generated by this Institute would initiate productive action in direct collaboration with groups of crafts persons at multiple centers that are widely distributed and decentralized. These catalytic change agents will be the seeds that will provide the roots for a sustained programme of growth and development of both the crafts sector and of the craftspersons involved that would be qualitatively far superior to what we have hitherto experienced.”

Thus, the first craft design college was set up India. Initially it provided for a PG program for two and a half years duration but later an UG program was added to it.The craft design program at IICD entails one year of foundation studies followed by three specializations the students can choose from.

Hard Material Application which includes stone, wood and metal, soft Material Applications which includes natural fibres, leather and textiles, and fired material applications which deals in terracotta and ceramics are part of the course. Education in IICD is a hands-on experience that seeks to equip students with a thorough understanding of materials, technologies, skills and concepts along with exposure to the diversity of Indian culture.

The institute now offers course in Craft Design but is planning to launch Craft Research, Craft Technology, Craft Entrepreneurship Development and Craft Management courses to cover the whole spectrum of the sector.

Students are initiated into the entire ecosystem of craft and are encouraged to understand complexities at the level of the village as well as the industrial production centres. This is achieved by courses and projects being carried out at craft clusters, in factories so that their interactions are not limited to closed classroom and studio practices only. The courses, as a result, end up imparting craft and design management knowledge along with entrepreneurship skills. So, exposing them to the whole gamut of the sector ranging from non-profit developmental side to profit-oriented organized export, helps then develop a realistic understanding of the sector.

Training and outreach programs are conducted at the grass root level with artisans, self-help groups and non-governmental organizations. These are multi-disciplinary in approach and are designed to add value to agencies working in craft development and promotion as well as to provide a platform for students to directly interact with craft communities. IICD has been involved in working with weavers at Bassi, the potters of Dausa and several such places, geared towards the development of crafts and craft persons.

In today’s world where design education is imparted at a premium, IICD with the patronage of Ambuja Education Society is working on the motto of “design for all”. The institute has managed to keep it affordable, which opens up doors of opportunity for sections of people who otherwise can’t think of pursuing design education. Thus, inclusion not exclusion has been the driving force at IICD.

The education at IICD encourages the students to think sensitively not only about crafts but also about the people who create it. To encourage them in developing such a perspective, the students are sensitized to the social sector. The initiative is bearing fruit. After completion of a weeklong interactive session, with prominent people who are involved in this very field, this is what Prerna Thakkar, one of IICD students had to say, “Craftspersons are more important than crafts; it’s because of them that crafts exists. The only way to understand their creations is through them.” She further adds, “It is our responsibility to help them live their lives better.”

As IICD encourages working closely with master craftsmen, educationalists and subject experts. The teaching methodologies therefore have ended up being more fluid rather than based on rigid course structures. This learning environment is vital to crafts as its existence is fragile; and sensitivity is the key to keeping it thriving.

After working with Sikki grass artisans for two weeks, Anaisha, one of the foundation batch students said, “Initially I was wasting a lot of material while making my products. But it all changed when I interacted with Mr. Amitro who is an alumnus of IICD and is working with Asian heritage Foundation’s JIYO project which addresses issues of development through crafts. He told me that the raw material can only be obtained by splitting the grass into four halves using the mouth and hands. It takes a very long time for them to extract the final raw material. I felt guilty about wasting the grass.”

Arpan Patel, who is leaving for the UK to pursue PG in design, reflects with nostalgia, “When I look back, I feel really embarrassed. When I started the project I was not aware of our folklores and mythologies but was aware of most of the western fables, fairytales and cartoon characters; but once I researched further and read the tales of Ramayana and Mahabharata, I could relate to the narratives on the Kawads,, which were very intriguing. This journey was to connect with my roots. You cannot understand Indian folk narratives unless you know the two epics.” He further adds, “This experience inspired me to design interactive furniture for children based on the epics. The children can playfully learn about our mythological tales. The furniture is accompanied by illustrated books which used the folk idiom. This is my ode to my own roots.” Arpan’s works has been showcased in various fairs and have got very positive response from parents and most importantly his target audience, the children.

On a similar note, Mamta, a soft material student, shares her insights after the hand spinning module, “I never used to like khaddar fabrics before, but it all changed after I attended the hand spinning module. We learnt how to make yarns out of cotton using Takl, Peti Charkha and Gandhi Charkha. I now understand the effort that goes into making the yarn and the fabric, but most importantly, it is an incredible feeling that every part of the fabric developed using these yarns would have been touched by a human hand.”

IICD graduates are ready to work in the field, both urban and rural. The work and the products of the institute are helping in creating a high value – added employment. The initiative the institute has taken over the last fifteen years has improved the quality of life of the carftspersons at highly decentralized locations. The IICD students are becoming the real change agents. Gargee, a final year students who is pursuing her project on developing products using recycling paper waste says,’ I cannot work sitting in sanitized design studio; my place of work is with the artisans in the field. That is where I work better.” She further adds, “It doesn’t matter where I am, I will work towards development of crafts and the ones who create it.”

by~ Swarup Dutta:

“Swarup Dutta is an alumnus of NIFT and Nottingham Trent University, UK. His formal education was in the field of fashion and textiles but he has been actively involved in the education, handicrafts and developmental sectors. He is presently working with Indian Institute of Crafts and Design as Dean Academics.

His passion for people has drawn him to Fashion Photography. He has styled and shot campaigns for Sabyasachi, Anamika Khanna, Kiran Uttam Ghosh, Shantanu Goenka, Dev r Nil etc.

His desire to express himself has taken him to different mediums, from Photography to Styling, from Crafts to Clothes. But photography still remains his passion.”

The department plans to bring out and publish their results as a handbook which can be used by ceramiscists and glaze enthusiasts from the world over.

This is what the students felt at the end of the course:

Ceramics is the most beautiful and challenging field that we have come across. Beautiful, as the results, that are achieved are very satisfactory and pleasing, but the path to the achievement of these results is full of thorns and roses.

We had our 6 weeks ‘Technical Glaze Project’ from 29^th August to 7^th October 2011 and this book is like a handbook into our journey. Every building builds up if the foundation is correct and strong, so we started with studying the basic theory of ceramics, like raw materials, their compositions, clay bodies, glazes, different oxides and the colour they give, slips, engobes, Egyptian paste, etc.

We started reading and for the raw materials as if it was the school room chemistry coming to us once again. This made it more interesting, as three of us come from the science background. After the fundamentals, began the phase of experimentation, which we now understand will never stop! The more you experiment, the more you come closer to the core, but it would seem you are still far away. It is just like leaving someone in the universe. It is a vast space, full of new discoveries to be made.

We’ve tried many recipes whether it is for Egyptian paste, Slips or the glazes. We learnt how to organize ourselves when working with ceramics, how to write the recipes, maintain a work book, nomenclature of the tiles and test pieces, handling of clay, chemicals, equipments etc. Our work went through six firings in total out of which we did four at our studio itself. All through this course so many people have offered their helping hands towards us and we are grateful to them.

Ceramics is a field where working hard and intelligently is all that matters. One has to work harder each day and indeed the fruit is sweet. We hope as many books have been like a guide to us, so will be our book which is just a small effort to fill in the ocean but as they say every sincere effort counts.

Dhruvswamini Bias, Rujuta Joshi, Revathi Jaykrishnan, Ronak Dandia 5^th Semester ( first batch FMA)