NEW DELHI: Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati and the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) have joined hands to offer a first of its kind post-graduate diploma in Radio Broadcasting.
A memorandum of understanding ( MoU) to this effect was signed in New Delhi yesterday by Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma and Prof. H P Dikshit, Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU.
There are a number of Broadcast Journalism programmes in India, but none specifically addressing radio broadcasting. The IGNOU - Prasar Bharati Post Graduate Diploma in Radio Broadcasting aims to fill this vacuum, with both the organizations complementing their respective strengths.
While IGNOU, with its expertise in academics will develop the course content, Prasar Bharati, with its huge infrastructure, will supplement theory with hands-on training in AIR stations and training institutes. PG Diploma in Radio Broadcasting will be an intensive course covering all aspects - from writing for radio to on air presentation.
The course will be imparted all over India through 11,000 study centres of IGNOU. The course fee is Rs 5,000, which will be shared equally between Prasar Bharati and IGNOU.
Speaking on the occasion, Sarma said that distance education is the answer to a country of India's size.
He also said that AIR is exploring possibilities of conducting a distance education programme in collaboration with IGNOU, for upgrading the skill of engineering and technical staff posted in far-flung areas. Prof Dikshit informed that the PG Diploma in Radio Broadcasting will begin in English and Hindi initially, but will be extended to cover major regional languages in the near future.