The Hindu Business Line : Mumbai University to have own radio station

Sesquicentennial fete
The University will be setting up community radio station
First Day cover, stamp will be released to observe the anniversary
Mumbai-Karachi Naval tour for Mumbai University students

THE BOMBAY UNIVERSITY

Mumbai , July 2

If all goes well, Mumbai will soon have another radio station. The University of Mumbai is in the process of setting up a community radio station to mark its 150th year of existence.

Clearance from the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry has already come through and the University is in the process of getting a frequency allocation, said Mr Venkatesh Kumar, the Member Secretary of the Coordination Committee for the 150th year celebrations.

The new station would largely look at educational content, though finer details are yet to be finalised, he said. Nevertheless, all of Mumbai will be able to tune into this new voice across the airwaves, once the necessary clearances are got, the official said.

Planned festivities

A First Day Cover and Stamp to commemorate the anniversary is also part of the year-long celebrations that are scheduled to kick-off from this month. The festivities commence with a formal inauguration by the President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on July 18.

A Mumbai-Karachi Naval expedition for students from the Mumbai University is planned for November. Other events on the agenda include educational seminars and cultural performances, a folk-art festival, an international film festival and a theatre festival.

Inter-university tournaments are also on the cards, against the Universities of Calcutta and Madras, respectively. The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, is expected to deliver the University's convocation address in December.

Improving infrastructure

However, this anniversary is not only about celebrations. "The (Mumbai) University is using the 150th year as an opportunity to try to improve the overall infrastructure, to mobilise resources in creating overall academic excellence in the field of higher education," said Mr Kumar.

The University has received large amounts of money this year and are hoping to utilise these funds to improve their facilities. The Maharashtra Government has allocated Rs 20 crore to them through the State Plan Allocation.

This amount is being utilised for the construction of a sports complex and a multi-cultural centre. The construction is already underway and the two new complexes are expected to be completed in two years.

The Rs 100 crore that the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, committed to the University in this year's Union Budget is being used to create a centre for research and development. The plan is to create a centre for nano-science and nano-technology. Upgradation of other facilities at the University is also underway. "The fact that it's the 150th year is only incidental. The long term objective is to get globally competitive," said Mr Kumar.

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