Friday, January 25, 2008

Wish You Happy Republic Day

The Department of Journalism, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication, Bhopal wishes you all Very Very Happy Republic Day-2008.

Remembering Dada

Remembering Dada, the University is organizing a Smriti Sandhya on January 30, 2008. Marking the occasion of Death Anniversary of Pt. Makhanlal Chaturvedi, our source of inspiration, all are invited to attend the function.

Dr. Prabhudayal Singh, freedom fighter and a noted writer, will be the chief guest of function while Shri Bhupal Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Barkatullah University, Bhopal will chair the function.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Special Classes on Defence Journalism

Mr. Ranjit Kumar, Defence Correspondent, Navbharat Times, Mumbai will be in Bhopal for three days. He will take special classes on Defence Journalism.

Mr. Kumar will take these classes on January 27, 28 & 29. It would be an additional session than the regular classes of Defence Journalism, which is being taken by Mr. Shiv Anurag Patairia, Lokmat Samachar, Bhopal.

S J Students will cover the "Vigyan Manthan Yatra"

The students of Post Graduate Diploma in Science Journalism (PGDSJ) are going on a tour to cover the "Vigyan Manthan Yatra".

The 'Yatra' is a Train Journey for the yong students of Madhya Pradesh to visit some Scientific Institutions of the country. This Yatra will halt at three places namely, Pune, Bangaluru & Kanyakumari.

The 20 coach special train will be flagged off by Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan on January 28, 2008 at Habibganj station, Bhopal.

Approximately 1,000 students (Future Scientists, termed by the State Government) will go on the special journey.

Interestingly, the train will have a special coach as a "Conference Hall". Students can watch films in this hall. It be utilized fordiscussions, panel discussions etc.

The journey will end on 06th February, 2008.

Admission Will Start from the First Week of April

New intake in the Master of Journalism (MJ) course of the University will start from the first week of April.

MJ is a two year course.

Convocation Ceremony on April 05

The Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication, Bhopal is organizing its second Convocation Ceremony on "April 05, 2008".

This convocation would be for the students passed in the year of 2005 and 2006. The ceremony would be organized at Bhopal. The venue for the function would be made public later.

It is kindly requested to all the passed students to attend the Convocation Ceremony.

Interested candidates should contact Mr. Avinash Vajpayee, Placement Officer of University for further details. His can be contacted on his Mobile no: 09425392448.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

V. T. Joshi Passes Away


Noted journalist V T Joshi passed away at Bangalore on Sunday night. Joshi, a highly respected figure in the journalist fraternity, worked at Bhopal for a long time as a Special Correspondent of The Times of India and The Hindu.

Aouther of "Pakistan-Zia to Benazir", he was also associated with the Makhanlal University. At present Joshi was associated with 'Media Critique' (Media Meemansa-Hindi), the quarterly published bi-lingual media journal of University.

Although now he is no more with us, but he will remain in the hearts forever.

A Tribute to late V T Joshi

By Remembering his writing

INDO-PAK PEACE: PROSPECTS AND PITFALLS

Author - VT Joshi

How productive are the recent peace initiatives in Indo-Pak ties likely to be? Will they yield fruitful results this time or again lapse into a quagmire of despondency as has happened so often in the past several years and decades?

These questions stare the people in the face in the whole of the subcontinent and go well beyond in South Asia. The answer has to be necessarily a mixed bag of hope and despair, of great expectations and deep frustration. There are positive as well as negative signals. The touching scenes of long lacerated family reunions as the Lahore bus service resumed, portray the human face of Indo-Pak impasse and must move the mountains. But the frequent exchange of rhetorical threats and verbal missiles between the leaders of the two countries make the mountains weep, instead.

The ardent desire of the common people of India and Pakistan for peace and normal good neighbourly relations between the two belligerent nations was never in doubt, and has survived the vicissitudes of history and politics. If a proof was ever needed it was there in the warm exchange of visits between the recent delegations of members of the two parliaments (called National Assembly in Pakistan) and businessmen. Their visits are expected to be followed soon by those of cultural and artistes’s delegations. These and various other aspects like the resumption of full diplomatic ties and prospects of the long stalled SAARC summit being held in Islamabad in January next, are happy tidings in the incipient thaw in bilateral relations after long months and years of tension and turmoil. But was it necessary at this stage to speculate that there would be no bilateral talks between the prime ministers on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in the Pak capital?

Perhaps quite significant was the reception organized in Islamabad reportedly by Jamaati-I-Islam of Pakistan for the Indian MPs’ delegation led by the most ardent and indefatigable champion of Indo-Pak amity, Mr. Kuldip Nayar, eminent journalist and Rajya Sabha member. It is another matter that the Jamaat chief (“Amir” of the Jamaat, as called there), Qazi Hussain Ahmed had once declared in a Karachi public meeting in the late 1980s’ that his ambition was to “plant the green flag on the Red Fort” in Delhi. The Qazi Sahib’s impressive flowing gray beard, which he sports with loving care, was jet black at that time. Years of dogmatic strife have hopefully mellowed him.

The Indian External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, seems to specialise in making statements every now and then with a distinctly anti- Pak ring around them. Are such wanton pronouncements harping on worn- out, futile slogans and shibboleths day in and day out, (as indeed those of the pontific deputy prime minister, L. K. Advani, as well) really necessary to pave the way (or queer the pitch) for the long awaited “dialogue” between the two countries on various issues plaguing their relations. Puerile talk about the so-called confidence building measures (CBM) sound hollow in this context. (Cross border violence notwithstanding).
In refreshing contrast is Sinha’s counterpart, Pakistan’s suave foreign minister, Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, whose public statements seem designed, at any rate, not to vitiate the atmosphere. As revealed in his numerous interviews and press reports Kasuri exudes a modicum of warmth and encouraging expectations. It is Kasuri who has been emphasizing the acceptance of the Indian proposal for a composite dialogue on all issues including Kashmir. To a question by this writer on the most pragmatic solution to the K-problem, in a BBC programme, Kasuri was candid and considerate in his observations. He remarked we are not aiming at a “solution” right now, but concerned about the resumption of talks – “Talks about Talks”, as he put it. About the allegations of cross border terror he regarded the views of most Indians to be rather “one sided”.

After his return from Washington on completion of his ambassadorial assignment in the United States in 1990 Dr. Karan Singh made a profound remark in an interview to a weekly magazine. The sole purpose of the External Affairs Ministry appeared to be to “keep denying” whatever Islamabad says on every little minor issue, he averred. Instead, considering the size and potential, Pakistan should be regarded as Mexico to the United States, he beseeched. What Karan Singh did not specifically mention but clearly thought deplorable was (and is) the mutual obsession of India and Pakistan with each other.

After a visit to the two countries in the early 1950s’ Taya Zankin observed that Pakistan was “obsessed with India” and “India with herself” -- (obviously in those halcyon days of the Nehru era). The situation has not changed much since then except that the situation has degenerated into mutual obsession with a nuclear edge.

An indication of the goodwill and robust pragmatism that exists among most of the thinking sections both in India and Pakistan is provided by the two successive series of weekly BBC programmes – “Question Time India” and “Question Time Pakistan”. The distinguished panelists of both the countries (in separately conducted programmes) deal with a wide range of questions on national and international events from enlightened studio audiences. A clear common strand is unmistakable in favour of a quick resolution of all outstanding issues between the two countries.

Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali's appearance in the last episode of “Question Time Pakistan” was its crowning glory. He emerged as the most sensible, suave, considerate PM with impeccable expression and impressive command over the English language. It is to be ardently wished his command also extends to his authority as PM. A striking contrast to President General Musharraf’s all too familiar bluff and buster, Jamali appears to be a perfect foil for the Indian prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee. Left to themselves the two prime ministers are sure to bring about an amicable settlement of all bilateral issues and usher in a new era of peace and stability in the subcontinent. The pity is that events in the troubled neighbourhood Jamali is not known to call the shots. Inshe Allah, one can only hope that circumstances change enough to give the two premiers the vision and courage needed for the purpose.

Meanwhile, on the Indian side there are some welcome signs of fresh thinking. Mr. Vasant Sathe's plea for "facing the Kashmir issue squarely and discuss it in all its dimensions" (in an article in Hindustan Times) comes as a breath of fresh air in the prevailing suffocating atmosphere when the recent peace initiatives by the prime ministers of India and Pakistan appear to be in serious danger of losing their momentum and bringing the whole process back to square one, as has happened so many times in the past, (as already pointed out) in spite of the restoration of full diplomatic relations and Lahore bus service, visits of trade delegations and contingents of parliamentarians etc.

It is time to realise that the K-issue is the main stumbling block in the path to normalisation and strive to remove it instead of harping on old familiar, failed efforts like “step-by-step” approach, “confidence building measures”, “People-to- People Contact” and all that crap.
Sathe has also suggested that the discussion on Kashmir could be held in the framework of UN resolutions. Pakistan can certainly be challenged on this score and asked to accept the resolutions in toto, and vacate POK as the first step. Will it ever do it?

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, who is the only prominent Indian leader to have openly and consistently advocated the conversion of the Line of Control as the only practical solution to the K- problem, has made yet another sensible in a recent TV interview – “To invite the world famous statesman, Nelson Mandela, to mediate between India and Pakistan”. It is a pity that leaders of eminence like I. K. Gujral and Natwar Singh rejected it in the same T.V. programme on the special plea that India has taken the stand against third party mediation. It is another matter that Nelson Mandela burnt his fingers by innocuously offering help as NAAM chief sometime back when it should have been seized upon but India rejected it out of court with unjustified contempt and incalculable harm. Even so Mandela deserves to be persuaded to mediate even at this crucial juncture.

VT Joshi
17 July 2003

Courtsey:
www.samarthbharat.com/indopakthaw.htm

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Commission Receives 80% Applications from Govt. Officials: Kejariwal


The majority of applications received by the Central Information Commission under the Right to Information Act, 2005, are filed by the Government officials. The cases of promotion, salary, transfer and related matters come in huge number before the Commission for hearing. These facts have been made public by O.P. Kejariwal, member, Central Information Commission, New Delhi.

"Eighty percent application filed before the CIC are of Government officials, either serving or retired", said the Central Information Commissioner.

Kejariwal emphasized that the RTI Act, passed by the Parliament of India in the year of 2005, overrides all the existing Acts of the land, even the Officials Secret Act, 1923.

"The applicants should file very short and crispy application instead of detailed description in order to save the time of Commission and applicant itself", Kejariwal further appealed.

The Information Commissioner was speaking in a Media Workshop organized on Right to Information at the Academy of Administration, Bhopal on Saturday. It was organized by Department of Journalism, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication, Bhopal.

Speaking on the occasion Chief Information Commissioner of Madhya Pradesh State Information Commission, P.P.Tiwari said that there is a need of greater need of awareness among the people regarding this right.

“In coming days the facility to file an application through telephone under the RTI would be possible through out the country”, he said.

Although the Act has empowered people at great extent but still there are so many hindrances in this regard, Tiwari further added.

Comparing the functions of Central Information Commission with the Press Council of India, another major institution established by the act of Parliament, Achutanand Mishra, a veteran name in Journalism and the Vice-Chancellor of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication said that “unlike the PCI, CIC is empowered with the penalty chagrining authority”.

Commission Recieves 80% Applications from Govt. Officials: Kejiriwal

The majority of applications recieved by the Central Information Commission under the Right to Information Act, 2005, are filed by the Government officials. The cases of promotion, salary, transfer and related matters comes in huge number before the Commission for hearing. These facts have been made public by O.P. Kejiriwal, member, Central Information Commission, New Delhi.

"Eighty percent application filed before the CIC are of Government officials, either serving or retired", said the Central Information Commissioner.

Kejiriwal emphasised that the RTI Act, passed by the Parliament of India in the year of 2005, overrides all the existing Acts of the land, even the Officials Secret Act, 1923.

"The applicants should file very short and crispy application instead of detailed description in order to save the time of Commission and applicant itself", Kejiriwal appealed.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Seminar Organized on Environment Reporting

The Department of Journalism in association with the International Media Foundation organized a two-day seminar on Environment Reporting at Pachmarhi in Hoshangabad district.

The seminar held on January 12-13, 2008 was attended by some 60 students of journalism and by some mainline journalists.

Abhilash Khandekar as a Coach in the Department

Mr. Abhilash Khandekar, State Chief (Madhya Pradesh) of Dainik Bhaskar is playing a role like a coach of Sports Journalism in the Department of Journalism. He will take the special classes on Sports Journalism in the Department.

It is worthy to mention here that Mr. Khandekar has so much interest in the field of Sports and he was a sports journalist in his past career.

One Day Media Workshop on 'Right to Information'

The Department of Journalism, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication, Bhopal is organising a one day Workshop on "Right to Information" on January 19, 2008. The department is organising this worshop in association with Madhya Pradhesh Academy of Administration, Bhopal specially for the media personalities of the State.

Mr. O.P. Kejriwal, Central Information Commissioner (member, Central Information Commission, New Delhi) will preside over the one day funtion to be held in the Auditorium of Academy of Administration, near Shahpura Lake, Bhopal.

Mr. Achutanand Mishra, Vice Chancellor of the University will chair the presiding function of the workshop, whereas Mr. P.P. Tiwari, Chief Information Commissioner, Madhya Pradesh Information Commission will be the special guest. Ms. Mala Shrivastava, Director-General, MP Academy of Administration would also attend the workshop.

Many experts will also attend this workshop. This would start at 10:00 AM in the morning and it is expected to end at 5:00 PM in the evening.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Regular Classes Begins from 7th Jan

The regular calsses of the Mater of Journalism (MJ) IVth Semester would start from January 7th, 2007. The Science Journalism Classes would be regular as it is.

Brajesh Rajput in Department

Mr. Brajesh Rajput, Special Correspondent, Star News, Bhopal will take some classes in the department. He will teach skills of TV Script writing to the students.

Mr. Rajput is a young journalist and he has a lot of experiences in the field. The Star Correspondent would also teach the practical approaces of the TV Journalism.

Lalit Shastri Will Take Classes

Mr. Lalit Shastri, Principal Correspondent, The Hindu, Bhopal would take the special classes for the students of Master of Journalism (MJ) & Science Journalism (SJ). He will take his classes till January 6, 2007.

Please notice that it would be his first experience as a teacher of Journalism. He is here to interact with the students with his 17 years of experience in Journalism.