The Gateway to Media in India

The admission process was pretty easy and candidate friendly. It started with applying for the said courses online, later receiving admit card for the entrance exam. Appearing for the exam and if passed, you will be called for a personal interview. Within 10 days or so, I received my dates for the Personal Interview. The interview was a really wholesome and virtuous experience for me. It was a lot more subjective and based on the knowledge of what's happening around us. After the PI, my name was shortlisted in the first merit, and I was supposed to visit my campus and take up my hostel room, officially. All of the formalities, such as the fee payment etc, was done within 20 days, and I joined college the next month. Overall, it was a really smooth process. Honestly, it's just difficult to know how exactly I used the quota, but I secured the seat is from the SC category, as I made it in the first merit. I also applied at TISS, Mumbai, I cleared TISSNET, but I couldn't clear the PI.

I chose this course for a better understanding of the world of journalism, through practical methods and not just theory. The faculty of the department was really diverse, we had professors, who've been senior journalists, or are still practising journalists, academicians in media and media studies, ex-speakers, lawyers and more. The teaching method was very practical. We would have assignments of reporting, exploring the neighbourhoods, finding out real stories, usage of camera equipment and so much more. There were two semesters, term exams would be conducted twice. Once in November, and then May. All examinations are difficult, but we have vivas and research projects which made it pretty interesting. We also had a thesis submission at the end of the second semester, which was the most informative and interesting part of the course.

To appear for campus placements, during my course period, there were not any restrictions as such. The placement drive happens in the month of February. Ours was a placement drive of a fortnight. We had companies like TOI, ABP News, Economic Times, All India Radio, PTI, Doordarshan coming to the campus and hiring for various positions. The highest package that was offered in my year was 20 lakhs, by Sony Entertainment, Mumbai whereas the average package offered was 3 lakhs. As told by the placement cell, the placement average was 75%. I joined AIR as the content executive for Social Media Cell after my degree. I worked with AIR for 3.5 years.

The course fee was 87,000. And since the hostel is on the campus, it was really convenient at the same time. I didn't get a scholarship for my course at the institute. During placements, I was hired by All India Radio for the post of Content Executive, Social Media Cell.

As far as annual fests and other cultural fests are concerned, IIMC had several fests and events. We celebrated Hindi Diwas, IIMC Alumni Meet and the Annual Day function of the institute. There are updated and versed volumes of books, journals and magazines in the library, along with high-speed internet. The classrooms are all digital, with projector screens, speakers and microphones. There are a lot of co-curricular activities on the campus, such as table tennis, badminton court, tennis court and more. I was a part of the Film Club on campus, and we used to watch one film every Saturday in the auditorium, followed by a discussion on the film itself.

The hostel rooms had a single bed, a wardrobe, a study table and a chair. The rooms were well lit and ventilated. The food in the mess was of decent quality. The menu was dynamic and would change every day. The hostel registration and room allotment were on a first-come, first-serve basis. The hostel tariff was pretty affordable. The hostel fee was 5000 a month, and the mess charges were around 3500/month. In case, you couldn't get a room in the hostel, you can stay in a rented room or PG in Ber Sarai, Kishan Garh and Vasant Kunj, closer to the institute.

The personal interview was very subjective. The questions which were asked were moreover related to the home state, my future options, and general knowledge. Candidates who have a bachelor degree in any discipline from a recognized university can apply for admissions at IIMC. I prepared for the PI by reading newspapers on a daily basis. Digging deeper about the happenings around me, the current events, and general knowledge.