In 2014 about 5000 students appeared for NID UG exam but for 2019 the number of students were 21,032. For NIFT at present 60000 students appear for total 3380 seats. Around 12500 applicants took UCEED in 2020 for 150 seats.
So why is there a sudden interest in design exams? which frankly were not even a choice a few years ago. A few factors are there
a) Fall of engineering / medical / architecture as an option: Engineering in today’s times is not paying its dividend, firstly the investment is high around 5-6 lakh per year whereas the average salary is around 13000 pm. Architecture is on a downslide due low number of construction projects and less purchases of consumers.
b) I don’t want to be an Engineer : Frankly many students did not want to become an engineer or doctor, they were more of arty kind or non- studious, design offered to them a perfect career option, this was not taken as an option by parent a few years ago but is now readily accepted.
c) Medical has high investment of money and time and it is decades long before a student starts earning.
d) Design is a Low investment (around 1.5-2.5 lakh per year) and high earning line (Rs. 36000 pm average starting salary) with a lot of free-lancing option where you can do jobs and earn more than your salary while studying something that neither drudgery of engineering nor medical nor has free lancing potential in your career.
e) You can earn from home in design: Need not work, need not have a office you can earn a lot working from home, this is a great option for girls, after marriage and children there is no break in career in design.
f) No retirement, once you have mastered your craft , you can keep on earning well after your retirement.
So, design with high potential gives you a career that is fun is attracting students by droves. The Sunrise of design is now there.