In an effort to fulfil the growing demands of qualified and trained media professionals from the industry, the Union information and broadcasting ministry has proposed to begin classes at the four new proposed Indian Institutes of Mass Communications from the next academic session (2011-12). The four IIMCs are proposed to be located in Mizoram, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Kerala.
Official sources stated that Union I&B minister Ambika Soni has personally written to chief ministers of all these states to request earmarking of land for the institutes. The ministry has sought four-seven acres of land from these governments for setting up of these journalism institutes.
“While Mizoram government has earmarked land at Aizwal, the J&K government has also informed the ministry about a proposed six acre site at Majeen near Jammu. The Maharashtra and Kerala governments too are in the final stages of land allocation for the premiere journalism institutes in their respective states,” sources stated.
Official sources stated that new IIMCs could start classes from 2011-12 (commencing in July 2011) by launching a few courses and that further courses could be added later once the infrastructure was ready.
The I&B ministry has proposed to launch post-graduate diploma courses in English language journalism course and a post graduate diploma in regional language of the respective state at each of the branches from the next academic session.
The I&B ministry has proposed the creation of these institutes on the lines of IITs and IIMs for which students admission would be conducted on the basis of an all India entrance examination. The four new institutes will be in addition to the present two IIMCs located at New Delhi and Dhenkanal.