Indian Institute of Mass Communication Review By Shagufta Perween

The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) New Delhi is a media institution for budding journalists. It falls in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under the Government of India. It is a premium organization in the country that provides a platform for young graduates who aspire to take up journalism as their career. The IIMC administers different courses through which it provides Post Graduate Diploma (PGDM) degree to the students in a 10-months course which is divided into two semesters. It provides training to the civil servants who UPSC examination in the previous year. Simultaneously, it offers various courses for foreign nationals as well. The campus is a fair place to gain exposure and gather experiences altogether. It holds a mixed crowd of students from all over the country coming from different fields of education.

The administration has a process through which students undergo written examination, group discussion (GD), and personal interview. The panel prioritizes diversity in the batches. Therefore, it includes individuals from different walks of life with entirely distinct backgrounds. The strength of the class would vary from 50 to 60 pupils depending on the course.

I joined English Journalism after my graduation in English Literature. The IIMC administration invites applications for different departments, specifically, English Journalism (EJ), Hindi Journalism (HJ), Radio and Television Journalism (RTV), and Advertisement and Public Relations (ADPR). The courses give a generous understanding of print, digital and electronic media. One is eligible to apply after the graduation stream is not a bar. The questions asked in the entrance examination mostly deal with the current affairs, language, and critical thinking of the individual. The real churning takes place in GD and interview. After getting into the institution one has to follow the course structure designed by the IIMC administration. One has to stick to it.

The institution has a reasonable fee structure as it is a government centre for teaching media. The curriculum is designed meaningfully to acquaint high degree knowledge and structure for the maximum outcome. The session begins with an orientation program where faculties, courses, and subjects are broadly introduced to the newcomers. The guest speakers who are invited to the institution are the leading journalists or newsroom anchors of the country, namely, Rajat Sharma, Deepak Chaurasia, Arnab Goswami, and many more.

The faculties are highly experienced in their respective subjects. They have worked in the field of journalism for a very long time. They all have been profound journalists and masters of their beats. The guest faculties invited for lectures are highly designated professionals in leading organizations in India and abroad. They impart knowledge keeping in context the ongoing scenario of the nation in terms of politics, rural development, economy, science and technology, entertainment, sports, lifestyle, international relations, and the current pace of growing new media.

The institution takes students to different events, conferences, and news studios to give them real exposure to the media industry. The students are sent to conferences where they get to interact with senior journalists and of course, good food and snacks are everybody's favorite part. Students are sent to cover various events and fests that keep happening in Delhi the whole of the year. Students are sent to various news channels like Rajya Sabha TV and NDTV discussions for learning experiences. The institution has its Community Radio where discussions on various issues take place. There are projects which are given to students to understand radio theoretically, practically as well as technically.

The students have to mandatorily maintain their attendance to at least 75 percent in both the semesters, otherwise, they are not allowed to appear in the examination. The first semester takes place in December while the second one takes place in March.

After the term exams in March, a placement fortnight is organized by the IIMC administration. There is a placement that specifically takes care of the fortnight. It makes sure that the students are applying to the organizations that come for the placement. Students are free to choose their beats and apply to organizations they want to work with.

Approximately, all students get placed in different organizations, web portals, advertisement companies, PR firms with an average salary from Rs. 2.40 Lakh to Rs. 3.60 lakhs per year which increase over time. One month internship is mandatory to get the passing certificate from the organization. Students get placed in print as well as digital platforms in firms like Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, Times Group, Money Control, Business Standard, APN News, ABP News, The Lallantop, ANI, Adfactors, LetzChange foundation, and many more organizations.

Notably, the IIMC campus extends accommodation to the students, preferably non-Delhiite first, at a subsidized rent, which includes food and lodging, where the charges are comparatively very low from the other places in the capital city. The curfew time is at 10:00 pm after which no one is allowed to move outside the campus. There is a decent amount of security as wardens and guards remain 24 hours on duty. The warden turns up anytime during an emergency.

The IIMC, New Delhi is located in the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The premises is nature hugging with a beautiful landscape. The JNU vibe could be easily felt and seen in the air of IIMC, which undoubtedly, escalates the understanding capacity of new graduates enrolling themselves in the institution. The media center has a rich library that possesses thousands of books, magazines, and novels in multiple languages from Indian as well as foreign authors. It has a super affordable canteen which serves snacks, tea, coffee, and delicious thalis.

The campus has a basketball and badminton court. I big furnished auditorium.

The IIMCians celebrate alumni meet named "Connection" which is like a festival on the campus. The premises get beautifully decorated with arrangements for snacks and dinner. The senior pass-outs from all the previous batches turn up to gel in with current batches.

It is obvious that no education centre teaches you the cent percent about the media industry but provides knowledge and skills to enter into the profession. The real scenario could be understood only after entering into a working sector. Apparently, the expectations from IIMC should not be kept too high. It is only the hard work and dedication of the student that pays off.

The life in campus is super fun and chilled.