Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication (MCU) is soon going to launch a Department of Indian Languages. The department will run a BA (Honours) programme in Hindi Literature and Translation. It will have a Language Lab, which will have facilities for training would-be journos in pronunciation, usage and grammar.
University Vice-chancellor Professor K.G. Suresh told the Free Press that the New Education Policy lays stress on Indian languages and that was one reason why the university has decided to launch the new department.
The university will tie up with the National Council for Promotion of Hindi Language for the purpose. The new department will function from the old campus of the university in MP Nagar.
Prof Suresh said that several dialects like Bundelkhandi, Bagheli, Magahi, Bhojpuri, Awadhi etc are spoken in the Hindi belt and the pronunciation, accent and choice of words of journalists and students from these regions are often influenced by these dialects. “However, to be a successful TV anchor or even a print journalist, you should be able to speak clear, standardised Hindi language and that is what we will be teaching students here,” he said.
He also said that the university will launch a diploma programme in Sindhi journalism from this year and in Marathi journalism from the next. “There are a substantial number of people speaking these two languages in Bhopal and Madhya Pradesh and there is scope for journalists fluent in these two languages,” he said.
He also said that the university will start a one-year diploma course in theatre and acting under its Department of Film Studies. Vivek Savarikar, a theatre actor, who is currently the director of the university’s MP Nagar Campus, will be anchoring the Department of Indian Languages.
Professor Suresh said that the university has already decided to launch a self-finance course in English journalism.
