IIMCs to award degrees

New Delhi, Sept 21 (PTI) Government is working towards upgrading Indian Institute of Mass Communication to award degrees and a draft Bill is being finalised in this regard, a top official of Information and Broadcasting Ministry said today."A draft Bill is being finalised so that it can be presented before Parliament and enacted at the earliest so that IIMC is empowered to grant degrees," I&B Secretary Raghu Menon said.Speaking at the IIMC's 44th convocation function here which saw 318 students being conferred PG diplomas in journalism and advertisement and public relations, he said government is in discussion with the state governments of Jammu & Kashmir and Kerala for opening regional centres of IIMC.Two new regional centres of IIMC at Aizawl, Mizoram and Amravati in Maharashtra have started functioning from this academic year.They are at present functioning from temporary campuses provided to IIMC by Mizoram University and the Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University but the Institute will be going ahead with the construction of its own permanent campuses at these places, for which land has been identified, he said.Menon said the Indian media and entertainment industry, which is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, is registering a positive growth after a slowdown during the global recession.23 students of PG diploma courses 2010-11 in Hindi, English, Oriya, radio and TV journalism and advertisement and public relations were also given awards on the occasion.