Ranchi University’s (RU) 27-year-old Department of Journalism and Mass Communication will soon be named as Institute of Media Studies. University’s Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr lN Bhagat to day said that the name would be changed in order to accomplish a better identity to the demanding self-financing course.
The department since its inception in 1987 is struggling to have a proper infrastructure comprising laboratory, permanent teaching and non-teaching staffs.
“14 years back our Journalism department was recognized by UGC. There are no sanctioned posts of staffs and faculty here. Since its establishment in 1987, it is being managed by staffs on contractual basis. Unless, state government does not gives green signal we cannot spend UGC allotted Rs 60 lakh for construction of a separate building on a marked piece of land exclusively for Journalism department. However, I can atleast try to rename the department and put efforts for regular workshops attended by researchers of journalism,” Bhagat said during the Silver Jubilee celebrations on Tuesday at Aryabhatta Auditorium.
Bhagat is in talks with three New Delhi based journalism researchers for conducting a media workshop in the respective department.
Accepting the loopholes creating day-to-day academic difficulties, Vocational Courses Coordinator Ashok Kumar Choudhary said, “We are trying to absorb staffs. Good laboratories and a building are needed. In the past 27 years, the department should have been able to become a centre. Unfortunately, that has not happened and we are still in a mix up arrangement with Humanities section.”
Department’s Head SMPN Singh Shahi pointed out necessity of converting the department into centre so that undergraduate in journalism and mass communication can be started as it is not possible to explain the basics in two year tenure of post graduation.
Notably, from 2009, the department has begun masters in journalism and mass communication. Prior to that diploma in the subject was carried out which was closed in 2012. Veteran Journalist Balbir Dutt cum founder of the department who was the Chief Guest here raised voice for upgradation of the syllabus as well as other academic works.
Department’s former directors, faculty and alumnus were felicitated on this occasion.