No entrance test for admission into DU’s Eng Journalism course

Students aspiring to get admission into English journalism degree course of Delhi University will not have to appear for an entrance test from this academic session under the new four-year undergraduate programme.

However, admission into Hindi journalism course will continue through an entrance test like previous years.

The Journalism (Hons) in English has now been named as Bachelors of Journalism and Mass Communication under the new four-year pattern.

“This time Journalism (Hons) has been renamed as Journalism and Mass Communication, and its syllabus too has been renewed,” Dean of Students’ Welfare J M Khurana said.

Earlier, five colleges that offer Journalism (Hons) in English used to conduct a common journalism entrance test for students, while Indraprastha College for Women, which used to provide a unique course of Bachelor of Mass Media and Mass Communication (BMMMC), held a separate test.

“Now IP college which alone used to provide BMMMC course will now provide the same degree of Journalism and Mass Communication like other colleges. Entry is based on the merit list,” Khurana said.

Admission this time for Journalism course will be based on the cut-off lists of different colleges.

According to the teachers of the journalism department, BMMMC and Journalism have been merged but components of both previous courses are kept alive, and they are complementing each other in the new course.

“BMMMC is merged with Journalism but the course component of BMMMC is still there and Journalism component has been enhanced,” said Principal of IP College, Babli Moitra Saraf, who is also the head of journalism department in the college.

However, the syllabus is not yet made public. It will be uploaded soon on the university website.

The new course of Journalism and Mass Communication, syllabus for which is being finalised by the six colleges, will be “professional and aimed to address the need of other emerging fields in Journalism.”

“In Journalism and Mass Communication, both the things are merged and a very professional and happening syllabus is being made,” said Anju Gupta, head of Journalism department in Kalindi College.

Some teachers, however, have raised concerns over the scrapping of the entrance test saying that the quality of students would go down as the test used to help getting a selective bunch of students for the course.

The professors also said that they could not understand the logic behind not having the entrance exam.

Those teachers, who are satisfied with the decision, said admission through entrance test meant a lot of seats especially for the reserved category used to remain vacant.

“Due to the combined entrance test most of the seats used to remain vacant especially for the reserved category. The new course is in sync with the modern time and requirement of the present media,” Gupta said.

Some teachers also think that the entrance test will not serve any purpose this time.

“As this is an interdisciplinary course, people from any discipline can come into the course. Entrance tests will not serve any particular purpose this time,” the IP college principal said.

Moreover, with this new course of Journalism and Mass Communication, a student can choose minor subject in Discipline II during the four-year programme.

Besides Journalism, syllabus for other FYUP courses have also been modified and passed after the meetings held at the university by the academic council members.

The new four-year programme with multiple degree options and multiple exit points marks a shift from the previous 10+2+3 pattern.

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