Top mass communications institutes in India

The Outlook survey (Top mass communications institutes in India, Outlook magazine's June 11, 2007 edition)shows that Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has failed to act despite informing the Parliamentary Standing Committee (that approves its request for grants) that "due to the limited manpower availability owing to vacancies in Research Department, the IIMC is pre-occupied with sponsored projects (work) which generates more income and resources with the result that the Institutes‘ own projects are delayed." It did so in July, 2006.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting informed the Parliamentary Committee that "Considering the fact that the IIMC is a centre of excellence in the field of communication, teaching, training and research and it aims to be a world class institute, the Committee are of the considered opinion that the Institute must be provided with the necessary infrastructure to carry out their assigned jobs in an effective manner."

It is astounding and highly unreasonable that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting having admitted shortage of manpower goes on to say that "it has been submitted that a post of Professor in the Research Department is lying vacant and a proposal has been referred to the Ministry under Annual Direct Recruitment Plan (ADRP), 2004 for approval of the Screening Committee." Is the Ministry referring to shortage of one Professor as shortage of manpower? Is it this shortage which is coming in the way of IIMC becoming "a world class institute"?.

Besides there are likes of private players like N Ram and Chandan Mitra representing both left and right political ideologies on the IIMC Society’s Executive Council & IIMC Society who have their own Journalism schools, therefore, they seem to have a manifest vested interest in promoting their own students instead of IIMCians. N Ram runs Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. Chandan Mitra runs Pioneer Media School.

Suggestions are invited from all the IIMCians to ensure that IIMC improve the deterioration in faculty strength and quality of education being provided so that students get better placements.

The fact remains that the methodology used by Outlook-Cfore college survey must be examined. The Outlook survey itself admits-"This survey gives the highest weightage, 60 per cent, to objective parameters, and only 40 per cent for the perceptual ones."

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seems incapable and unqualified to manage IIMC. It is high time IIMC is affiliated to a University and managed like an educational institution instead of letting it deteriorate through its pre-occupations.

*Top mass communications institutes in India

Outlook magazine's June 11, 2007 edition has come out with its
annual Outlook-Cfore college survey and this time, it has ranked the
top mass communications institutes in India as well among others.

It says a '...major trend is that many top-scoring students are
deliberately opting for professional courses like healthcare, hotel
management, fashion technology and mass communication. Experts are
predicting a huge demand-supply gap in terms of manpower in these
sectors.

A recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers report estimates that the
Rs. 43,700-crore media and entertainment sector is poised for a
cumulative growth of 18 per cent over the next five years and will
be a Rs. 1,00,000-crore market by 2011.

The fashion industry is expected to grow over five times to Rs 1,000
crore over the next 5-10 years.

Healthcare, already a Rs. 1,00,000-crore sector, is growing at 13 per
cent. Reforms and high growth rates have opened up new opportunities
in many sunrise sectors.

This is why we have ranked institutes in areas like law, fashion
technology and mass communications. But this year's ranking is based
on subjective perception...'

These are the top 10 mass communications institutes in India
according to the survey:

S. No. Name of institute Competence of faculty (200) Infra-
structure and facilities (100) Pedagogic Systems (200) Placements
(150) Total (650)

1 Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad 161 76 159 129 525

2 Asian College of Journalism, Chennai 164 72 156 121 513

3 AJ Kidwai Mass Comm Research Centre, Jamia, New Delhi 158 67 151
117 493

4 Indian Institute of Mass Communications, New Delhi 151 78 143 114
486

5 Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai 156 64 149 108 477

6 Film and Television Institute of India, Pune 148 74 140 112 474

7 Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Pune 142 63 138 115 458

8 Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore 143 65 137
105 450

9 Manorama School of Communication, Kottayam 139 67 132 98 436

10 Times School of Journalism, New Delhi 134 69 130 100 433

(This data is from the Outlook magazine print edition)`