The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) here on Tuesday launched a new Post Graduate diploma programme in Marathi journalism, which will be conducted at the institute's Amravati campus in Maharashtra.
This was the second Indian language programme launched by the government institute this year. A course in Malayali journalism will be conducted at IIMC-Kottayam in Kerala from this year.
Addressing the gathering, Director General of IIMC Delhi K.G. Suresh said Indian language journalism was important for budding journalists to remain in touch with ground realities.
"The way literacy is increasing in the country, the way people are reading more... it has been noticed that people prefer to read in their own language," he said.
"If you want to do good journalism, then read more of 'language journalism' because that will keep you connected to the masses," said Suresh, who himself has been a journalist.
Shunning the use of word 'vernacular', for "it was used by the British for local press", he said that it is advisable that the courses taught be made relevant to the state in which the campus is located, in case a central institution chooses to branch out.
The Director General also announced the re-designation of the Delhi campus's Hindi Department to 'Department of Indian Languages'.
The occasion also coincided with the 97th death anniversary of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, more popularly known as 'Lokmanya', who died in 1920.
Tilak also helmed a Marathi newspaper named 'Kesari'.
A bust of the firebrand revolutionary was to be unveiled later in the day by Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir.
--IANS
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