Issues in Architectural Education and Profession
I am glad that friends like Prof. A.G.K. Menon have found time and energy to
join issues regarding the current crisis in architectural education. But at
the same time he has taken initiative to open up the whole field of
architectural profession, economics, politics and social aspects of the
current situation. In the era of Internet it is inevitable that we engage in
open discussion and evolve common understanding about the situation in the
hope that we may be able to develop a broad consensus on the strategies to
resolve the issues.
At the outset I would like to point out that the Indian Association of
Schools of Architecture was founded on January 14th, 1988 at Manipal,
Karnataka during the NASA Convention. Yes, I was instrumental in suggesting
the idea and preparing the document containing goals and objectives and was
part of the committee to take follow up actions. Due to petty politics the
endeavour was constrained to a small group of institutions and educators. It
was revived in early 90s when Prof. Vijay Sohoni convened a meeting of the
heads of the schools at Nashik and thereafter we hosted the First IASA
National Convention at Rizvi College of Architecture on 18-19 December 1997.
The theme of the convention was ? the Future Directions of Architectural
Education in 21st Century.? The convention was followed up with workshops on
Basic Design ( RCA) and On the first year ( PICA). The current crisis in
architectural education necessitated IASA to convene the meeting to address
the issues. The decision was taken at a meeting held at Sir J.J. College of
Architecture and I have followed it up with the notice for the meeting.
The IASA meeting on 27th December at Secunderabad is called to address the
specific issues related to the current crisis. Although all the related
issues shall be taken up in order to evolve a broad consensus on the
strategy and action programme. We have a long way to go towards achieving
the cherished goals and objectives of architectural education.
The issues related to architectural profession needs to be taken up
separately under various platforms such as IIA, local associations. IASA can
also take up the issues if the members are up to it but we need to be clear
about the priorities. The role of Council of Architecture, its scope and
limitation, its performance and achievement can be discussed separately. The
style of functioning under different Presidents, office bearers and the
Council can be analysed. The discussion can be carried at professional
forums. It is a fact that the issues have been continuously debated at IIA
and local forums. People need to identify the issues and make the
suggestions for its restructuring and improvement to make COA a more
effective and meaningful body.
I have stated way back in 1987 that we have made a historical error in
constituting COA as it is where the government architects, nominated by the
State Government constitute the majority while the majority of private
sector architects are reduced to minority in COA. I was of the opinion that
instead of following the example of ARCUK of Great Britain, we should have
drawn inspiration from the Chartered Accountants Act and made the IIA into a
statutory body or constituted Chartered Architects Act on similar line. But
that is history. We have the Architects Act 1972 and at the most we can
think of some revision or its restructuring. But there is a tremendous scope
in further improvement and development to make COA a catalyst for evolving
profession of architecture in India.
The architects world over suffer from being an elitist profession. We tend
to prefer to get engaged on the issues and network with a chosen few in
India and abroad, which satisfies our egos. We generally ignore our own
context and our own people. This results in lack of participation in
activities at the IIA and local associations / forums. Yet, when the issues
affect us we tend to complain and protest. But then where were we when the
democratic institutions provided us with the opportunities to engage in a
dialogue and why did we not put up a struggle then? E.g. why there are no
IIA Centres in many of our metros and cities such as Delhi, Kolkata,
Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad ? Why all architects do not become members
of the IIA? Why all the members of IIA do not vote? Why blame the leaders
only for the state of affairs in our institutions? We need to take a
critical look at ourselves to begin with. As human beings, citizens and as
architects.
From 1984 when the Indian Institute of Architects was revived under the
leadership of Ar. Rusi Khambatta and Prof. Madhav Deobhakta to 1992, when I
took the charge as Principal of Rizvi College of Architecture, I was engaged
in survey of the state of affairs in our profession and education, analyzing
the situation to identify the issues and problems, suggesting strategies and
action programmes and whenever I got the opportunity to implement, I
followed it up with collaborative action. But there were very few among the
professionals and educators who came forward with whole-hearted support and
participation. Others have tried in their own ways and with their own
methods since then. The actions and methods of our institutions and leaders
are open to public scrutiny and debate. Since 1992, I have taken initiative
at Rizvi College of Architecture to discuss and deliberate on the issues of
future directions of architectural education and profession. In 1999, we
took the initiative to launch International Association for Humane Habitat
(IAHH) to take up the global issues related to the field of architecture and
habitat. This is just to illustrate that there has been a critical
engagement on the issues. We need to come out of narrow camp mentality of
elitist and chauvinist enclaves to get engaged with the issues of our people
and time. The reality of Indian society, its diversity and plurality, its
complexity and contradictions are manifest in the affairs of architectural
profession and education just as it is in politics and economics.
The issues affecting young architects have been addressed at the Indian
Institute of Architects in formation of Young Architects Forum since 1987.
Every year the YAF hosts a national event and festival to take up the issues
that are important to them. However, how many young architects participate
in such events? There are initiatives at local levels e.g. in Mumbai, there
are several forums for young architects and students. The Council of
Architecture as a statutory body has its limitations, that it is constituted
to control and regulate. While we can think of innovations and change we
need to understand the constitutional limitations. The IIA on the other hand
has greater freedom to take up the issues of development of architectural
profession. Therefore, I am of the opinion that there should be a healthy
collaboration between the COA and the IIA. But the contradiction between the
leadership of IIA and COA has left a lot to be desired in the past. One only
hopes that in future we shall learn from our shortcomings, enhance our
understanding and engage in creative collaboration.
The shortcomings of our educational frameworks, infrastructure and
institutions have resulted in many grave and ironic situations. These could
have been easily avoided if the management and educators were more
responsible and critical about the need to overcome inherent contradictions
and shortcomings. At the same time there is a need to have a fresh look at
the Minimum Standards for Architectural Education and the Norms for
Professional Conduct of Architects to make them appropriate to our social,
economic and environmental context. There is a general lack of appreciation
of the good work and initiatives taken in many of our institutions, which is
sad to say the least. As a result of inconsistent policies and programmes at
national and state level in managing educational systems, the discipline of
architecture has suffered a lot. We need a long-term action programme for
development of architectural education and related fields of studies. We
need to reflect and resolve to do much better in future than what we have
been able to do in the past. In order to do that we need to come out of our
shells of elitism and chauvinism and get engaged in an open dialogue and a
truly democratic collaborative endeavour.
The Council of Architecture launched a nationwide programme of seminars on
the issues of architectural education. These seminars were conducted in all
the regions and there was a very good response to the seminars. The
proceedings and recommendations were published and distributed to all the
institutions. The Council of Architecture also launched a nation wide
programme of Teachers Training under quality improvement programme and the
same has been a considerable success. The Council of Architecture has been
undertaking visitations of respective colleges and identified several lacuna
and shortcomings. COA informs that they were compelled to act only after
some of the schools did not respond to the notices positively. These actions
by COA can be discussed and the facts ascertained. However, the issue on
hand is restricted to legal frameworks and the jurisdiction of AICTE and COA
and can be best resolved in the Court of law. We are free to start an
on-going discussion on each and every issue that concerns architectural
education and profession. We need a life-long commitment to the issues.
IASA as a voluntary national body of schools of architecture is free to
evolve its role and scope of activities. It can discuss, deliberate and
recommend what is appropriate, relevant and sustainable in our own context
and that of our time. There is a tremendous scope for innovation and
development. There is a need for much greater interactions, co-operation and
collaboration. I do hope that all the schools and faculty members would come
forward to become institutional and individual members if IASA and
participate whole-heartedly in developing architectural education.
I am thankful to Prof. A.G.K. Menon for raising the critical issues which
surely needs to be addressed by us all.
With warmest greetings for a merry Christmas and a New Year full of peace,
harmony and all round development.
Note: These are my personal thoughts and in no way it should be taken as the
official view of respective organizations IASA / IIA / COA/ RCA.
Prof. Akhtar Chauhan
Director
Rizvi College of Architecture
Off Carter Road, Bandra West,
Mumbai 400050
Email: akhtarmchauhan@xxxxxxxxxxx
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