Srinagar: Several selected candidates who have recently qualified the Aptitude Test for the post of Assistant Information Officer were shocked to learn that the candidates having Bachelors of Arts (B.A) with Mass Communication and Video Production (MCVP) have not been considered in the eligibility criteria fixed by Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) for the posts in the notifications issued so far.
The selected candidates told Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that they have completed the three years UGC recognized undergraduate program “Mass Communication and Video Production” (MCVP) that was started by Kashmir University in Degree College Baramulla in 2002.
“In 2002, Government Degree College Baramulla was the only institution in entire north India to offer Graduation in mass communication and video production along with subjects political science, sociology, history, and English. As the nomenclature was lesser known to the University, our marks cards were issued as BA reflecting all the subjects including Mass Communication and video production. Degree Certificates also have been titled as Bachelors in Arts (BA) which created the confusion,” said an aspirant who underwent document verification today at Zum Zum Building in Srinagar.
“Three-year course B. A with mass communication and video production is at par with graduation in journalism as the candidate studies mass communication and video production for three years in graduation and does practical work for three years. While a Diploma in Journalism is just one year course which has been considered,” he said.
The aspirants said preference should be given to mass communication and video production candidates having the subject in graduation but eligibility criteria fixed as simple graduation with history as one subject has been given preference “which is injustice”.
The aggrieved candidates said that B. A with MCVP is the vocational course for which entrances are conducted for the selection of students besides its fee structure was entirely different from normal B.A course.
“The syllabus teaches all aspects of Journalism including mass communication, print media, radio, TV, photography, and advertising besides thorough insight of the communication world and to reveal the mysteries of what is behind the TV screen, the impact of the written word, production of programs, the grammar of visual design, power of publicity and much more,” the candidates said.
They said that the course has been supported with state-of-art infrastructure including production studio equipped with modern gadgetry, PD and DSLR cameras, complete unit of digital indoor, outdoor shooting, non-linear editing suite, and multimedia labs.
The candidates urged JKSSB authorities to consider the candidates having graduation (BA) with mass communication and video production at par with journalism as there was no other course available in Jammu and Kashmir at that time. (KNO)
