IIMC introduces a PG diploma course in Urdu journalism

In a bid to promote Urdu language the Indian Institute of Mass Communication on Tuesday launched a full-fledged postgraduate diploma course. The institute was earlier offering a five-month journalism course in the Urdu language.

"Urdu is an essential element of Indian cultural heritage, Urdu journalism had an important role in our freedom struggle as well," said Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu at the launch. Hailing IIMC for upgrading the five-month Urdu journalism course to a PG diploma course, Naidu said "Urdu does not belong to just people of one religion, but to people of the entire country".

Similarly, he encouraged IIMC to offer courses in all national languages. "I would like to see IIMC start offering journalism courses in all national languages of India," Naidu said.

According to the institute, it has kept the fee of the course lower than what is being charged for any other course. "The charges for the course will Rs 3 6,000 annually in a bid to give equal opportunity to the students coming from all sections of the society and also to give the Urdu language a boast," said IIMC Director General KG Suresh.

Besides, Naidu also re-launched the Communicator, a journal of the institute and inaugurated the 67th diploma course in development journalism for 23 working journalists from 19 countries.

The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) is one of India's premier institute for journalism. Besides Delhi, it has five other branches in Odisha, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala. The institute offers PG diploma courses in English, Hindi, and Oriya languages as of now.