Tuesday, May 10, 2005
IIMC Convocation 2005 & the "bottom line" obsession
One fears that institutions like individuals lose sight of their mission and purpose.
Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and other educational institutions have an obligation to send a clear message to students that there is more to an educational institute than career planning.
Also these institutions have a similar obligation to reward their professors for teaching. They have an obligation to make sure their promotion reflects the highest values of the academics and not the basest.
One has to recognize that one cannot isolate oneself from a culture that is driven to quantify that which cannot be quantified. But good institutions can validate those qualities that lead to a sense of self-worth.
IIMC as an institution seems quite obsessed with "the bottom line," a commercial phrase that suggests- the only thing that matters is profit. And for IIMC, faculty members and the management it seems all that matters is production of cannon fodders every nine-month to be disposed of in the media warfare.
It illustrates an insane eagerness to cut the chase and clear away the interim process between the initial undertaking and the completion of a task. "The bottom line" obsession has deluded the thinking about perspective and has made it appear as if all that mattered is the final outcome.
But it would be quite far fetched to expect perspective from Navin B. Chawla who was made the Secretary of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on May 29, 2004. Chawla is a 1969 batch IAS officer.
After the passing away of Ramesh Chandra, Chairman, IIMC passed away on 22nd September 2004, Chawla perhaps had to take a decision with regard to the nomination of next Chairman of the IIMC but instead he nominated himself as its Chairman.
Aeschylus, a Greek playwright & a philosopher said, "Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law. Wrong must not win by technicalities."
But Chawla does not care.
Interestingly, as a Chairman of IIMC, the 2005 batch students saw him for the first and perhaps for the last time on the day of their Convocation.
Sources have informed that Navin Chawla is to retire in 31 July, 2005. In all probability, Chawla would like to remain the chairman of IIMC till 31 July and must be planning to continue in that position even after retirement.
"In Indian bureaucracy while all bureaucrats of similar seniority are equal on paper, yet some chosen few are more equal than others. Chawla belongs to the latter category. Chawla was very close to Sanjay Gandhi and wielded unprecedented power in his official capacity as Secretary to the Lt. Governor of the Union Territory of
Delhi, Kishan Chand during Emergency in 1975-77. He functioned as the de-facto Governor of Delhi and several bureaucrats who happened to interact with him during this period have confirmed the fact that he was known for his unabashed authoritarianism. His controversial role as Secretary to the Lt Governor of Delhi was noted by the Shah Commission, which went into emergency excesses. Chawla did not cover himself with glory when the Constitution of India was subverted with impunity during emergency. As one who occupied a vantage position during that period, he was charged with arbitrary exercise of authority," says V Sundarm, a retired IAS officer.
The same Chawla arranged the IIMC Convocation at 9 o' clock in the early morning of 29th April, 2005 so that the flop show which perhaps he knew the Convocation was going to be could not be taken note of by the media. He successfully escaped the attention of media in general and some 2900 media professionals from IIMC. Chawla
made no effort to invite the IIMC alumni.
Chawla had called Dr Karan Singh to give the Convocation Address to the students passing out of IIMC. Dr Singh came so ill prepared to give his address that he kept referring to IIMC as IIMS. Perhaps this was the outcome of Chawla's briefing. Dr Singh has a reputation of being a good speaker and one knows him to be veteran
who has given numerous such addresses. Or perhaps Chawla feels that Philosophy and Mass Communication are one and the same. One is at one's wit's end to note as to how come Dr Singh was deemed as the right person to be the Chief Guest at the IIMC Convocation.
If someone can share the erudite text of the speech given by both Dr Singh and Chawla, we would be delighted if for nothing else than for their Sarkari humour.
We hear nothing about what Dr B. P. Sanjay, director, IIMC said at the Convocation. Was he so awe-struck in the presence of a powerful bureaucrat and a powerful politician that he became speechless?
If possible someone from the current batch may also share the text of the speech by different course directors so that we can verify as how far what they stated at solemn occasion like Convocation is true.
Will Chawla explain as to why the event of IIMC Convocation was totally boycotted by the media? Why even Prasar Bharati remained indifferent to it? What is the message from such poor media coverage to a premier mass communication institute?
Why Chawla did not direct Press Information Bureau(PIB) to take note of the IIMC Convocation?
Does it not seem to be a deliberate policy of some vested interest that represents corporate interest instead of public interest to marginalise the status of IIMC to promote corporate sponsored mass communication institutes?
The fact remains the way Convocation of 2005 has been conducted is a reflection of the sorry state of affairs at IIMC. Its non-serious handling has violated the sanctity of the occasion. If genuine attempts are not made to set matters right, in future defaulters and the culprits will be named and exposed.
IIMC is there to serve the students of IIMC to build their capacity in order to serve in public interest, the IIMC Alumni with their active involvement especially by keeping track of what's going on at IIMC can help it serve better.
Incindentally, on 29th April itself S. Jaipal Reddy, Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Culture informed the Lok Sabha about the "USE OF MASS COMMUNICATION" while his Secretary failed to perfom his duty by not communicating about the IIMC Convocation to the masses. One can now visualise how he runs the I&B Ministry.
Reddy would serve the cause of Mass Communication better if he paid proper attention to IIMC instead of treating it like one of the departments of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Gopal
Source: iimcosa1966
Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and other educational institutions have an obligation to send a clear message to students that there is more to an educational institute than career planning.
Also these institutions have a similar obligation to reward their professors for teaching. They have an obligation to make sure their promotion reflects the highest values of the academics and not the basest.
One has to recognize that one cannot isolate oneself from a culture that is driven to quantify that which cannot be quantified. But good institutions can validate those qualities that lead to a sense of self-worth.
IIMC as an institution seems quite obsessed with "the bottom line," a commercial phrase that suggests- the only thing that matters is profit. And for IIMC, faculty members and the management it seems all that matters is production of cannon fodders every nine-month to be disposed of in the media warfare.
It illustrates an insane eagerness to cut the chase and clear away the interim process between the initial undertaking and the completion of a task. "The bottom line" obsession has deluded the thinking about perspective and has made it appear as if all that mattered is the final outcome.
But it would be quite far fetched to expect perspective from Navin B. Chawla who was made the Secretary of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on May 29, 2004. Chawla is a 1969 batch IAS officer.
After the passing away of Ramesh Chandra, Chairman, IIMC passed away on 22nd September 2004, Chawla perhaps had to take a decision with regard to the nomination of next Chairman of the IIMC but instead he nominated himself as its Chairman.
Aeschylus, a Greek playwright & a philosopher said, "Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law. Wrong must not win by technicalities."
But Chawla does not care.
Interestingly, as a Chairman of IIMC, the 2005 batch students saw him for the first and perhaps for the last time on the day of their Convocation.
Sources have informed that Navin Chawla is to retire in 31 July, 2005. In all probability, Chawla would like to remain the chairman of IIMC till 31 July and must be planning to continue in that position even after retirement.
"In Indian bureaucracy while all bureaucrats of similar seniority are equal on paper, yet some chosen few are more equal than others. Chawla belongs to the latter category. Chawla was very close to Sanjay Gandhi and wielded unprecedented power in his official capacity as Secretary to the Lt. Governor of the Union Territory of
Delhi, Kishan Chand during Emergency in 1975-77. He functioned as the de-facto Governor of Delhi and several bureaucrats who happened to interact with him during this period have confirmed the fact that he was known for his unabashed authoritarianism. His controversial role as Secretary to the Lt Governor of Delhi was noted by the Shah Commission, which went into emergency excesses. Chawla did not cover himself with glory when the Constitution of India was subverted with impunity during emergency. As one who occupied a vantage position during that period, he was charged with arbitrary exercise of authority," says V Sundarm, a retired IAS officer.
The same Chawla arranged the IIMC Convocation at 9 o' clock in the early morning of 29th April, 2005 so that the flop show which perhaps he knew the Convocation was going to be could not be taken note of by the media. He successfully escaped the attention of media in general and some 2900 media professionals from IIMC. Chawla
made no effort to invite the IIMC alumni.
Chawla had called Dr Karan Singh to give the Convocation Address to the students passing out of IIMC. Dr Singh came so ill prepared to give his address that he kept referring to IIMC as IIMS. Perhaps this was the outcome of Chawla's briefing. Dr Singh has a reputation of being a good speaker and one knows him to be veteran
who has given numerous such addresses. Or perhaps Chawla feels that Philosophy and Mass Communication are one and the same. One is at one's wit's end to note as to how come Dr Singh was deemed as the right person to be the Chief Guest at the IIMC Convocation.
If someone can share the erudite text of the speech given by both Dr Singh and Chawla, we would be delighted if for nothing else than for their Sarkari humour.
We hear nothing about what Dr B. P. Sanjay, director, IIMC said at the Convocation. Was he so awe-struck in the presence of a powerful bureaucrat and a powerful politician that he became speechless?
If possible someone from the current batch may also share the text of the speech by different course directors so that we can verify as how far what they stated at solemn occasion like Convocation is true.
Will Chawla explain as to why the event of IIMC Convocation was totally boycotted by the media? Why even Prasar Bharati remained indifferent to it? What is the message from such poor media coverage to a premier mass communication institute?
Why Chawla did not direct Press Information Bureau(PIB) to take note of the IIMC Convocation?
Does it not seem to be a deliberate policy of some vested interest that represents corporate interest instead of public interest to marginalise the status of IIMC to promote corporate sponsored mass communication institutes?
The fact remains the way Convocation of 2005 has been conducted is a reflection of the sorry state of affairs at IIMC. Its non-serious handling has violated the sanctity of the occasion. If genuine attempts are not made to set matters right, in future defaulters and the culprits will be named and exposed.
IIMC is there to serve the students of IIMC to build their capacity in order to serve in public interest, the IIMC Alumni with their active involvement especially by keeping track of what's going on at IIMC can help it serve better.
Incindentally, on 29th April itself S. Jaipal Reddy, Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Culture informed the Lok Sabha about the "USE OF MASS COMMUNICATION" while his Secretary failed to perfom his duty by not communicating about the IIMC Convocation to the masses. One can now visualise how he runs the I&B Ministry.
Reddy would serve the cause of Mass Communication better if he paid proper attention to IIMC instead of treating it like one of the departments of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Gopal
Source: iimcosa1966
# posted at
11:34 pm
