About Us

The media and entertainment industry in India, and indeed across the globe, is estimated to be the fastest growing among all other industries.

Even as the Internet and television media continue to grow in leaps and bounds, the traditional print medium is not far behind. Very interesting, fulfilling and financially lucrative career options are available to young people in the field of Mass Communication. While the focus of Mass Communication education remains on Journalism, the other attractive career options that open up are in the areas of Advertising and Public Relations.

As for the entertainment industry, there are courses to train people in TV and Radio anchoring, reporting, editing, directing, shooting (camera persons) and such other specialized jobs for which skilled people are in great demand.

Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University could well claim to be a pioneer in mass communication education in India, for offering the first structured and well-planned journalism course after the country won freedom in 1947.

It was to the credit of Hislop college, Nagpur and its then Principal, the Late Dr.D G Moses, who established a full fledge Department of Journalism with the approval and encouragement of Nagpur University in 1952-53. Prof. K E Eapen was the first Indian scholar to be the head of the department. The begining was made with a diploma course in Journalism, which was later elevated to the degree level in the mid sixties.

The university’s Department of Journalism was set up as a unit of the Social Sciences faculty in July 1969. Mr.S T Puranik was the first Honorary Head of the Department. The Department was renamed as the Department of Mass Communication in 1989 and was shifted to its own building in the sprawling and verdant setting of the university’s post graduate teaching campus on Amravati Road, Nagpur.

It is the first university department in the country to start a unique vocational P G Diploma in Video Programming (News and Current Affairs) in 1996. The Department established a well equipped Television studio with lights, Production Control Room (PCR), 14-Track audio mixer for sound recording, Digital Cameras PD 170 P, Digital Recorder DSR - 11, I-Mac and Final Cut Pro professional video editing equipment, Canon 60D SLR Digital Camera, and Computer Laboratory with Internet facility.

Alumni of the department are highly successful individuals who have made a name for themselves in print, electronic and interactive media, besides in myriad other fields ranging from academics to politics. The Alumni Association of the department is full of stalwarts eager to help the students not only in improving their skills and making the right career choices, but also in getting them suitably placed.
 

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Courses Available

 

• Master of Arts (Mass Communication)

  Duration: Two years (four semesters)
  Specialisation: Print, Electronic, Online, Advertising, Public Relations
  Intake : 30
  Admission Eligibility: Bachelor’s Degree of any statutory university or any other degree recognized as equivalent thereto with minimum 45% marks or equivalent grade.
  Admission is done through Entrance Test (Written and Interview)

  Subjects:

  First Semester:

  1. Principals of Mass Communication
  2. Development of Media
  3. Print Media – I (Reporting and Editing)
  4. Electronic Media (Radio and Television)
  5. Advertising and Public Relations

  Second Semester:

  1. Development Communication
  2. Communication Research
  3. Media Laws and Ethics
  4. International Communication
  5. Media Management

  Third Semester:

  1. Print Media – II
  2. Radio
  3. Television
  4. Advertising
  5. Public Relations

  Fourth Semester:

  1. New Media Applications
  2. Intercultural Communication
  3. Environmental Communication
  4. Dissertation
  5. Attachment and Study Visits to Media Centres

   

• Bachelor of Journalism (BJ)
  Duration : One Year
  Specialisation : Print Media
  Intake : 50
  Admission Eligibility : Any Graduate from recognized university
  Admission is done through Entrance Test (Written and Interview)

  Subjects:

  1. Principals and History of Journalism
  2. Modern News Reporting & Feature Writing
  3. Editing in Electronic Era
  4. Modern Newspaper Management & Press Laws
  5. Public Relations & Mass Communication
  6. Current Affairs, Language Study & Soft Skills
  7. Information Technology Application in Mass Media
     
      

• P G Diploma in Video Programming (News & Current Affairs)
  Specialisation : Electronic Media
  Intake : 25 students
  Admission Eligibility : Any Second Class Graduate
  Admission is done on "First Come First Served Basis"

Subjects:

1. Principles of Communication and Development & Comparison of Mass Media
2. News Gathering and News Reporting
3. Editing and Script Writing
4. Presentation & Production
5. Interviews & Discussion/ Quiz on Current Affairs
6. Documentaries on Current Affairs
    

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Teaching Faculty

Mr. Moiz Mannan Haque
Asst. Prof & Head
Educational Qualifications:
B.Com., M.B.A., B.M.C., M.M.C., Advanced Diploma in Journalism (International Institute for Journalism, Berlin, Germany), AFP Fellow (Washington DC, USA), Cert. in French, NET (UGC)

Industry Experience:

• Senior Reporter, The Hitavada, Nagpur (1987-1992)
• Senior Reporter, Indian Express, Nagpur (1992-99)
• News Editor, The Peninsula, Qatar (1999-2004)
• Business Writer, The Greenville News, South Carolina, USA (AFP Fellowship 1998)
• Correspondent: The Indian Post, The Sunday Observer, The Independent (for different periods between 1988 and 1992)

Academic Experience:

• University approved Lecturer at NBA-accredited NYSS Institute of Management & Research, Nagpur, specializing in Advertising and Marketing Communications (2004-09).
• Head of the Department of Mass Communication, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (2009-present)
• Member of Regional News Bulletin Review Committee, All India Radio
• Member, Syllabus Drafting Committee for M.A. (Mass Communication) and B.J., RTM Nagpur University
• Member, Annual Report Committee, RTM Nagpur University
• Visiting Faculty, Department of Business Management, RTM Nagpur University
   

Dr. D.V. Dhawankar
Asst. Prof.
Educational Qualifications:
M.M.C., M.A. (Adv. & PR), P. G. Dip. Video Programming, M.S.W., M.A.(Hindi), M.A. (Pub Adm)
 

Industry Experience:

• Reporter, Citicable (1996-97)

Academic Experience:

• Lecturer and Head, Dept. of Mass Communication (2003-06)
• Chairman, Board of Studies, Mass Communication (2003-06)
• Research Supervisor at RTM Nagpur University and JJT University, Rajasthan
• Presented research papers at 14 national and international conferences
• Six Research papers published in national journals

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Visiting Faculty

• Mr. Arun Phanshikar, ex-Bureau Chief, Hindustan Times
• Mr. Vivek Deshpande, Assistant Editor, The Indian Express
• Mr. Virag Pachpore, ex-Assistant Editor, The Hitavada
• Mr. Sachin Kate, Edition Head, Punya Nagari
• Mr. Jaideep Hardikar, Special Correspondent, The Telegraph
• Mr. Dinesh Tekade, Senior Reporter, Nav Bharat
• Mr. Shekhar Soni, Senior Photojournalist, Indian Express/ Loksatta
• Dr. Ram Prakash Saxena, Linguistics Expert and ex-H.o.D.
• Dr. Advocate Vasant Khaparde, High Court Lawyer
• Mr. Jalandar Purohit, ex-PRO, MECL
• Miss Kirti Melag, Senior Sub Editor, The Hitavada
• Dr. Ashok Kumar Shrivastava, PR Expert
• Mrs. Reeti Pandharipande, free lance journalist
• Miss. Poonam Hande, ex-Sub Editor, The Hitavada
• Mr. Shyam Dharmadhikari, award-winning film maker
• Mrs. Pratibha Pande, ex-Asst. Station Director, Doordarshan
• Mr. Bhau Panchabhai, retired Producer, Doordarshan
• Mr. C.L.Nandanpawar, Asst. Station Director, Doordarshan
• Mr. Sanjay Daff, Senior Correspondent, Saam TV
• Mrs. Revati Joshi, AIR News Reader and Station Incharge, Gyanvani
• Mrs. Kalyani B., professional television producer
• Mr. Anand Kumar Patil, IT Expert
• Mr. Sunil Babu, Asst. Prof. Dept. of Sociology, RTMNU
• Dr. Atul Kulkarni, Research Statistics Expert

Research Activity

• The students of the department are engaged in periodic research on the topic of media, its development and its impact on the society. These are in the form of survey reports, dissertations, video and radio news bulletins and documentaries.

Industry-Institute Interaction

• The Department has initiated various initiatives to strengthen interaction with the Industry.
• An Industry-Institute Interaction Cell has been set up under the umbrella of the Department’s Media Club.
• The visiting faculty are drawn from the mass media and related industries and professions.
• Experts from the industry are regularly invited for Guest Lectures, Seminars and Workshops.
• From the time to time, the Department assists news media in areas like reporting during special events and public relations activities.
   

Industry Internship

The B.J. and M.A. (Mass Communication) students undergo a compulsory Internship/ Attachment Programme wherein they are placed in leading media organizations and assigned various tasks related to the functioning of the mass media.
The students are required to compile a file of all their work, including published reports, pages made, copies edited, reports broadcast, etc.
The P.G.Diploma in Video Programming students are attached for various periods to Doordarshan, Zee News, Star News, UCN and AIR or to the local correspondents of private national and regional news channels for hands-on training.
In the 2011-12 batch, the students were placed in the following organizations
 

1. Star News
2. Zee News
3. Doordarshan
4. The Hitavada
5. Sakal
6. Lokmat Samachar
7. Lokmat
8. Nav Bharat
9. Profit Advertisers
10. Directorate of I & PR, Govt. of Maharashtra

The students receive certificates from the media organizations after completion of the Internship Programme.

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Activities 2011-12

1.  Five-Day Career Orientation Workshop (August 9 to 13, 2011)
   A five-day Career Orientation Workshop was inaugurated by Mr. Shripad Aparajit, Resident Editor, Sakal, while former Assistant Editor, Hindustan Times, Mr. Arun Phanshikar presided over the function. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Aparajit reminded the students of the different nature of careers in Mass Communication.

   
   Mr. Phanshikar spoke about the huge growth in the print media, particularly in Maharashtra, and how editors were finding it difficult to find good journalistic talent these days. The Head of the Department, Mr. Moiz Mannan Haque, said the workshop was organized with a view to give the fresh batch of students a glimpse of the various career opportunities available to Mass Communication students.

   During the workshop experts in various fields conducted sessions regarding career options in their respective areas. The speakers included Mr. Alok Tiwari, Deputy Resident Editor, The Times of India, on “Print Media,” Miss Sarita Kaushik, Vidarbha Bureau Chief of Star News on “Electronic Media,” Mrs. Shobha Dhanwatay, senior faculty, Symbiosis, Pune, on “Puiblic Relations,” Mrs. Manisha Boratkar, Director, Profit Advertisers, on “Advertising” and Mr. Anand Bhisey, Hyderabad-based Web Content Manager, on “World Wide Web.”

    

2. Teacher’s Day Celebration by students (September 10 , 2011) Teacher’s Day was celebrated by the students at a simple function by honouring their Gurus. The students presented songs and some mimicry items and the teachers. In turn, shared their experiences and advised the students about how best to lead their professional and personal lives.
   The function began with lighting of the traditional lamp and garlanding a portrait of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in whose memory the day is celebrated.

    

3. 3. Live Shoot of CNBC TV-18 (September 24 , 2011)
   Students interested in electronic media careers participated in a Live Shoot of the special event under the television series “Future Cities of India” broadcast by the New Delhi-based CNBC TV-18. The students were involved with the CNBC team in the pre-shoot preparations at Hotel Pride and also observed the actual shooting and live telecast. CNBC Studio Manager, Mr. Mayur Kalsarpe, personally guided the Department’s students on the finer aspects of studio set-up, camera positions, lighting, sound recording and show management.

    

4. Session on Political Reporting (September 29, 2011) In a democracy, politics decides the fate of the people and therefore political reporting should be taken very seriously by the media, said senior journalist Mr Sudhir Pathak. He was conducting a session on “Political Reporting” as part of the Samvaad 2011 lecture series at the Department of Mass Communication, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University. Mr. Pathak who worked as Chief Editor of Tarun Bharat for nearly 13 years in a career spanning over three decades, urged the budding journalists to take interest in politics even if the subject appears dry to begin with. “There is politics in every reporting beat, be it sports, business or culture. And for those who wish to specialize in electoral politics, it is essential to deeply study the political past and present of the country and the various political institutions and systems prevalent here,” he said.

    

5. Visit to MY FM radio station (October 8, 2011)
    
   Students of M.A. (Mass Communication) course were very excited to visit the studio of the popular F.M. radio station 94.3 MY FM. They interacted with the Programming Head and popular radio jockey RJ Milinds. He explained to the students the various programmes aired by the FM radio station and how they are planned and produced. They were also made aware of the public relations and publicity activities at the organization.
    

    

    

    

    

6. Five-Day Workshop on Ad-Making (October 10 to 14, 2011)
   As part of their training for multi-faceted capabilities in Mass Communication, the students were given an opportunity to undergo a hands-on training workshop on designing print advertisements on the computer using programmes such as Corel Draw and Adobe Photoshop.

   Imparting the training was eminent artist and Chief Designer of The Hitavada, Mr. Hemant Abhyankar.

   The workshop started with a session on the creative decisions to be taken while visualizing the advertisement concept. Various elements of layout and design were discussed along with their suitability to advertising different product categories and marketing strategies.

   Later, the students were made aware of the technical details of operating Corel Draw and Abode Photoshop and trained on how best to convert concepts and ideas into great visual creations.

    

7. Lecture on ‘Photo Editing’ (October 20, 2011)

   Visual communication is one of the most important aspects of Mass Communication. The news media in particular relies heavily upon pictures to convey its message to the masses. For the print media, the written word has to be adequately complemented with photographs to give a complete picture to the readers.

    

    

    

    

8. Visual Creativity through Rangoli (October 22, 2011)
   With Diwali round the corner, the students of the Department began the celebrations with a ‘Rangoli Festival’. The canvass was the concrete floor in front of the building. The students gave full vent to their creativity in drawing and colouring wonderful images on themes ranging from freedom of the press and nature to personal monograms and a huge portrait of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
   It was a happy occasion with some student bringing along tiny tots from their families. Some students also practiced their photography and videography skills capturing the event through the lens.

    

9. Practical Training through internship (Oct 24 to Nov 23, 2011)
   Various initiatives are undertaken by the Department to provide practical training to the students in fields such as print and electronic journalism, advertising and public relations. One very important part of this training is the 30-day internship in media and related organisations.

   The Department arranged for its students to be placed, according to individual interests and preferences in such organizations during the winter vacation at Diwali time. The students work as interns in the organizations observing, studying and learning the various work procedures and systems. They are also sent out on the field for assignments as and when required.

   The organizations where students of the current batch were placed included Zee News, Star News, Doordarshan, The Hitavada, Lokmat, Sakal, Lokmat Samachar, Information and Public Relations Department of Government of Maharashtra and Profit Advertising Company.
    

10. Social Commitment on Children’s Day (Nov 14, 2011)

    
    As part of a social commitment project, students of the Department of Mass Communication, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, celebrated Children’s Day on Monday by holding a drawing competition of municipal school students and donating walkers for handicapped orphans at Mother Teresa’s Home.

    The journalism students distributed drawing sheets and crayons to nearly a hundred children of Premnagar Primary School of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). The themes for the drawing competition ranged from patriotism to nature. Prizes in the form of schoolbags, pencil boxes, drawing books and other educational material were distributed. The schoolchildren were also given a demonstration and basic information on personal hygiene with particular reference to hand washing. Nail cutters and soaps were also given away.
    
    Later, the students spent time with orphaned and physically challenged children at the Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa’s Home in Mohan Nagar. They gifted two walkers to the home for children with walking disabilities.

     

11. National Press Day Seminar (Nov 16, 2011)

    
    A Seminar on Media Regulation was held at the Department of Mass Communication, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University on Wednesday to celebrate the National Press Day.
    
    National Press Day marks the setting up of the Press Council of India in 1966.The Resource Persons were Mr. Prakash Dubey, Group Editor, Dainik Bhaskar, and Mr. Sanjay Tiwari, Special Correspondent, NDTV.

    Mr. Dubey, who was himself a member of the Press Council of India, explained the background and objectives of the organization that is supposed to act as a watchdog for the print medium. He dwelt at length on the recent debate following the views expressed by PCI Chairman Justice Markadneya Katju about regulating the media, particularly private television.

    Addressing the students of journalism, Mr. Dubey stressed the need for journalists to be fair and just and to consider all possible consequences before publishing a report.

    Senior TV journalist, Mr. Sanjay Tiwari, explained that news television in India was still in the evolutionary stage and needed some more time to mature. He said there were ‘black sheep’ in every profession and urged the student participants to value integrity in the long run.  

     

12. Workshop on Crime Reporting (Nov 17, 2011)

    
    NAGPUR: The mass media and the police need to develop an understanding of each other’s compulsions and constraints to be able to better serve the society, said speakers at a Workshop on Crime Reporting.
    The event was held on Thursday at the Department of Mass Communication, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University. The speakers were Mr. Yashasvi Yadav, IPS, Superintendent of Police, State CID, and senior journalist Mr. Shirish Borkar.
    
    Speaking to students of journalism, Mr. Yadav, a computer engineer by education, highlighted the significance of technology in police work. With technology-assisted and cyber crimes on the rise, the law-enforcement agencies need to be better equipped, he stressed.

    He pointed out that the media should take into consideration the complexities of policing in a country like India which has the most heterogeneous societies in the world. In his session, Mr Shirish Borkar made the future journalists aware of the various law-enforcing and internal security and investigation agencies operating in the country and briefly explained the functioning of each.

    He pointed out that reporting crime can be an exhilarating experience provided one was prepared to be diligent and highly responsible. “One incorrect or irresponsible statement published in a report could potentially create havoc in the society,” he cautioned. He also dwelled on the importance of cultivating and nurturing sources while maintaining one’s integrity.

     

13. Session on Facing Challenges (Dec 18, 2011)

    
    A session on “Facing Challenges” was conducted by Miss Kanchan Gogate, Sub-Editor, The Times of India, Pune.
    
    Speaking to students of journalism, Miss Gogate underlined the importance of self-confidence and self-belief in facing the tough challenges of a career in journalism. She gave every day examples to show how various hurdles can be overcome through a positive attitude.

     

     

     

14. Preparatory lecture on Legislative Practices (Dec 19, 2011) A day prior to the planned visit to the Nagpur Session of the Maharashtra legislature, the students were given a primer on legislative practices, procedures and tools by senior journalist, Mr. Arun Phanshikar, former Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times.

    Mr. Phanishikar explained to them the basic procedures and protocol followed during Question Hour, debates and discussion, passage of bills, Zero Hour and other practices. He further explained the importance of the legislature in a parliamentary form of democracy.

     

     

15. Learning Visit to State Legislature (Dec 20, 2011)
    An understanding of legislative procedures is important for journalists and a practical exposure is essential to strengthen this understanding. With this in mind, the students of all three courses run by the Department were taken for a visit to the Nagpur Session of the Maharashtra State Legislature.

    They were first taken to the legislative assembly, where they got to witness the Question Hour. They learnt the procedure for tabling questions and how supplementary questions are asked and answered. Similarly, they witnessed the proceedings of a debate in the legislative council where they learned more about the conduct of the House and how members participate in debates and raise issues pertaining to their respective constituencies.

     

16. Training Programme in TV Production (Jan 5 to Feb 9, 2012)
     

    A month-long training programme in television production conducted by Visiting Fellow, Mr. Bhau Panchbhai was organized for students wishing to join the electronic media. Mr. Panchbhai, an expert in TV production and a retired Producer with Doordarshan, gave them practical training in indoor and outdoor camera operations, deciding on shoot location, preparing for shoots, props, lighting, sound recording and all aspects of production.

     

     

     

17. News Bulletin of UNIFEST 2012 (Jan 22 to 26, 2012)
      It was one of the biggest challenges in their student life for the budding journalists of the Department when they were asked to produce a daily news bulletin for the 27th Inter-University National Youth Festival hosted by R.T.M.Nagpur University from January 22 to 26, 2012 at Vasantrao Deshpande Hall and the University Convocation Hall.
    
    The students were required to completely plan and produce the bulletin covering nearly 25 different events involving more than 900 participants from 68 universities across India. It was a matter of upholding the prestige and reputation of the university before the visiting students, their officials and teachers and senior officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs, government of India and the Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi.

    The students were divided into teams covering each event and also the side lights and human interest stories. A make-shift newsroom was set up at the MLAs Hostel from where three bulletin were produced during the five days of the festival. The students learnt planning and scheduling of reports, taking notes, taking interviews, identifying news worthiness, spot coverage, editing, page-making and all other aspects of print media. The bulletins were greatly appreciated by the visitors.

     

18. Workshop in Page Making on Computer (Feb 13 to 18, 2012)

    With the adoption of new technology the traditional art of newspaper page making has undergone drastic changes and the budding journalists need to keep abreast of the latest practices being followed by the industry.
    
    With this in mind, a six-day Workshop in Page Making was conducted by Mr. Niraj Chinchkhede, Senior Sub-Editor with the English daily, The Hitavada. The students were given hands-on training in the most widely-used page making software – Quark Xpress. They were also made aware of the different concepts of page design and layout and taught how to translate these concepts into practice.

     

19. Workshop in Video Editing (Feb 13 to 18, 2012)

    
    Students wishing to make a career with the many television news as well as entertainment channels have the option of taking up an editor’s job. Video Editing is a highly specialized field that requires specific skills both creatively and technically.
    
    To give them these skills, a Workshop in Video Editing by noted documentary maker, Mrs. B.Kalyani, was organized at the Department. In the recent past, the Department has procured the latest I-Mac compter and Final Cut Pro editing software and Mrs Kalyani trained the students in the use of these latest techniques of editing.

     

20. Session on Tribal Issues and Naxalism (Feb 25, 2012)

    The issue of tribal rights and welfare vis-à-vis the Naxalites movement has been in the headlines for several years now, but the core problems remain unresolved. Student swho wish to practice journalism in this part of the country need to be aware of the background and current situation in the Naxal-affected districts of Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Gondia and Bhandara and also the neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

    Senior journalist and Assistant Editor of Hindustan Times, Mr. Pradip Kumar Maitra, who has been covering the Naxal issue for nearly two decades was invited to conduct a session on “Tribal Issues of Gadchiroli vis-à-vis the Naxal Movement.”

    He traced the history of Naxalism from the time of the first farmers’ uprising in the tiny hamlet of Naxabari in North Bengal to the present time when the so-called “Red Corridor” runs through at least seven major states of India. Recalling his personal experiences with the tribals as well as Maoist rebels, he gave the students a thorough idea of the complicated matters. The lecture was followed by a lively question-answer session in which the students and faculty of the Department participated.

     

21.  Training Programme in TV Presentation (Feb 27 to Mar 3, 2012)
    The growth of the television medium and the mushrooming of 24-hour channels in India has meant a great diversification and variety in the content. It is not just the television news bulletins, but a host of other news and reality-based programmes that need highly skilled and trained professionals to do various jobs.

    Presentation becomes an important part of the production of news bulletins, talk shows, discussion programmes, interviews and quiz and other reality shows. To train the students in this skill, the Department invited as a Visiting Fellow, Mrs. Pratibha Pande, who retired as Assistant Station Director of Doordarshan after nearly 30 years of distinguished service.
     

22.  ‘The Front Page’ for Campus students (Feb 28, 2012)

    
    Dozens of budding journalists took an awe-inspiring journey through time as their minds drank in the amazing information provided by the exhibits of ‘The Front Page’ expo of The Hitavada that was on display Department of Mass Communication.

    The exhibition of historic front pages, an initiative launched during the centenary celebrations of The Hitavada, was also witnessed by scores of students of various other departments of the university in the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Educational Campus on Amravati Road.
    
    “This is quite incredible,” said Vice-Chancellor Dr. Vilas Sapkal after inaugurating the display that featured over a hundred treasured pieces of world history. He was confident that students of the university, regardless of the subjects and stream they were studying in, would benefit immensely from the exhibition.

    Students of Mass Communication, in particular, gained a lot in terms of experiencing how the selection of news, display techniques, headline styles, photography, cartoons, advertisements and all other aspects of print journalism have evolved over the last hundred years.
    Earlier, the vice-chancellor was welcomed by Head of the Department of Mass Communication, Moiz Mannan Haque, who guided him through the display along with faculty members Dr. Dharmesh Dhawankar, Adv. Vasant Khaparde, Arun Phanshikar, Dinesh Tekade, Anandkumar Patil and Dr. Sunil Babu.

    Prominently present were Dr. Arun Patil, Director of Students Welfare and Vice President of the Mass Communication Department’s Alumni Association, Dr. Mohan Kashikar, Head, Department of Political Science, Dr. Veena Dadhe, Head, Department of Hindi, Dr. Soma Sen, Associate Professor, Department of English and Dr. Rajesh Dongre, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry.

     

23. Gadchiroli tour to study tribal issues (Mar 1, 2 and 3, 2012)
    The only positive change in the lives of the tribal people of remote forest stretches in Gadchiroli district is a heightened awareness about health, education and constitutional rights, said Magsaysay award-winner Dr. Prakash Amte.

    He was interacting with students of the Department of Mass Communication at his Lok Biradari Project in Hemalkasa. The students toured the district visiting major NGO projects and interacting with key people to understand the tribal issues in the Naxal-affected areas.
    
    The Mass Communication students also visited the Shodhgram (SEARCH) project of Dr. Abhay and Dr. Rani Bang near Gadchiroli city. They gathered information about the rural health scenario in the region, particularly with respect to woman and child health and how the ‘Arogya Doot’ concept has drastically brought down cases of infant mortality.

    At the tiny tribal village of Mendha Lekha they had a long chat with former Sarpanch Devaji Tofa, who explained how the villagers had been successful in campaigns ranging from ‘Liberation from Liquor’ to cataloguing and protecting the ecosystem they live in.

    Near Mul, they visited the campus of Shramik Elgar, which is perhaps the only registered Trade Union in Eastern Vidarbha working for the unorganized sector. Founder of the union, Paromita Goswami, a product of Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Jawaharlal Nehru University, explained to the students how the union works within the constitutional framework for the rights of tribals, women and other dispossessed groups.

    At the Somnath Project of the Maharogi Seva Samiti they were shown around the 1,250-acre campus established by Baba Amte for leprosy patients. They learned about how students from the tribal areas have been giving vent to their feelings through the medium of fine arts at the Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya in Nawargaon run by noted artist Mr. Sadanand Borkar. He also runs a theatre group and an open air theatre where the traditional ‘Jhadipatti’ folk theatre is engaged in sending out social awareness communication o themes ranging from blind faith to addiction.

    The students also visited the ancient Markandadev Temple complex, known as the ‘Khajuraho of Vidarbha’, and the rare patch of dense teak forest known as ‘Glory of Alapalli.’ They were accompanied by the Head of the Department of Mass Communication, Moiz Mannan Haque.

     

24. Visit to Govt. I&PR Dept. (Mar 14, 2012) Among the many career options before Mass Communication students are jobs in Public Relations in the private as well as government sectors. In order to better understand the functioning of government public relations, the students visited the office of the Director, Information and Public Relations, Government of Maharashtra.

    Officials at the department, including Information Assistant Mr. Punjaji Khadse and District Information Officer, Mr. Anil Thakre, briefed the students.

    They said important details of major policies, directives, initiatives, schemes and programmes of the government is disseminated by the department through the mass media and its own publications. It also produces informative material in the form of short films and documentaries to create public awareness on a variety of issues.

     

25. Session on ‘Forest Conservation’ (Mar 15, 2012)

    
    Forest conservation, in the overall effort of environment protection, assumes great significance in this part of the country as some of the finest national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves are to be found in Vidarbha and adjoining parts of Madhya Pradesh.
     

    Mr. Ramesh Marulkar, Deputy Editor of The Hitavada, who are been actively involved in nature reporting for close to 30 years, gave the students of the Department an overview of the forest conservation initiatives.
    He made the students understand the concept of ecosystem and how each biotic and abiotic element is vital for the existence of the system. He also explained the food chain and how it can be disrupted by a threat to any of its links.

     

     

26. Learning Visit to Social Forestry Dept. (Mar 15, 2012)
    With a view to understanding the nature of work being undertaken by the Social Forestry Department under the state forest ministry, a group of Mass Communication students visited the office of the Deputy Director General, Mr. S.H.Patil and also the department’s nursery in Seminary Hills.

    Interacting with the students, Mr. Patil informed that the Department of Social Forestry was established in 1982 with the main objective of raising a green cover on barren land. While lending a hand to the overall effort of forest conservation, the Department is also engaged in raising trees outside protected areas to fulfill the forest produce needs of nearby villages. He said the Department plants saplings near agricultural fields, along railway tracks and highways and near rivers and streams. It also undertakes the initiative of creating public awareness and encouraging the citizens to raise trees.
    
    Later, the students visited the Department’s nursery at the foot of Seminary Hills are observed the work of raising saplings of various varieties. They also learned how different species have different uses and are suitable for different geographical conditions.

     

27. Session on Advances on Newspaper Production (Mar 22, 2012)
     

    From the time Gutenberg invented the first printing press, major technological innovations and advances have seen the process undergo a sea change. Students of Mass Communication need also to understand how the product is finally produced.

    For this purpose, a session on Advances in Newspaper Production was conducted by graphic arts expert, Mr. Abhay Banhatti.

    He traced all the developments in printing technology and explained in detail how the process currently works with the help of Information Technology tools.

     

28. Visit to The Hitavada printing press (Mar 22, 2012)
      In order to practically experience how newspapers are actually produced using the latest computerized printing methods, the students were taken to visit the printing press of The Hitavada situated in the Hingna MIDC area.
    
    Production Incharge, Mr. S.R.Sarode gave the students a guided tour of the entire facility and explained each stage of the production from electronic transfer of pages and the computerized plate making operations to the final printing of the newspaper pages.

     

    
     

29. Release of ‘Campus’ the students’ new bulletin (Mar 29, 2012)
    Journalism not a mere avocation but an advocation of one’s views, principles and feelings, said Mr. Vijay Phanshikar, Editor of The Hitavada, speaking to students as the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of the Department’s extra and co-curricular activities for the academic session 2011-12. ‘Campus’ a news bulletin planned and produced by the students was also released at Mr. Phanshikar’s hands during the function.
    
    One cannot be successful in journalism without passion, Mr. Phanshikar stressed. “Unless your heart bleeds for the common man, your lungs breathe for the society and your limbs work for the people, you can never be called a journalist,” he said. He also cautioned the students that if earning money was their priority, they should look for career options other than journalism.

    Earlier, Mr. Moiz Mannan Haque, Head of the Department of Mass Communication, made the introductory remarks and presented a report on more than 30 major activities conducted during the last session to give practical exposure and training to the students.

    The programme was conducted by Miss Devashree Bhimte and Miss Pallavi Aherrao proposed a vote of thanks. Prominently present were Mr. Sanjay Tiwari of NDTV and faculty members Dr. Dharmesh Dhawankar, Mr. Arun Phanshikar, Mr. Virag Pachpore, Dr. Vasant Khaparde, Mr. Niraj Chinchkhede and Mr. Anand Kumar Patil.