New building of Journalism Department to be completed soon: UoM VC

Mysore/Mysuru: Maintaining that it is a special moment for the University of Mysore (UoM) to celebrate the Birth Centenary of the doyen of Journalism Prof. Nadig Krishnamurthy and the 50th year of the setting up of Journalism Department at UoM together, UoM Vice-Chancellor Prof. G. Hemantha Kumar said that the construction of the new building of Journalism Department  in Manasagangothri campus will be completed soon.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Centenary celebration of Prof. Nadig Krishnamurthy jointly organised by UoM, Karnataka Media Academy (KMA) and Mysuru District Journalists Association (MDJA) at Vijnana Bhavan in Manasagangothri campus here this morning.

Pointing out that the programme is a befitting tribute to Prof. Nadig,  the VC said that Prof. Nadig is rightly called as the ‘Bheeshma’ of Indian Journalism.

Recalling the efforts made by Prof. Nadig in setting up the Journalism Department when Prof. D.Javaregowda (Dejagow) was the VC over fifty years ago, he said that the thesis submitted by Prof.Nadig  for his Ph.D degree, wherein he has chronicled the growth of Journalism in the country, still stands as a reference document.

Underlining the role of Prof. Nadig in documenting the landmarks of Indian Journalism in English and all other Regional languages, he said that the UoM’s Prasaranga has done a wonderful job in publishing this work. However, the book needs to be updated in keeping with the present days and the UoM was ready to co-operate with any scholar who comes forward for its  re-publication.

Contending that Prof. Nadig was a multi-talented personality who was also a freedom fighter in his younger days, Prof. Hemantha Kumar highlighted the role of Nadig in the creation of Media Academy (now called as Karnataka Media Academy) as its Founder-Chairman.

Prof. Hemantha Kumar also recalled the role  of Prof. K.V. Nagaraj, who was mentored by Prof. Nadig, in taking forward UoM’s Journalism Department. He suggested the Journalism Department to avail the services of Prof. Nagaraj, who has settled down in Mysuru, after serving  in different capacities at various places across the country.

He complimented Media Academy and Journalists Association for joining hands in the celebration.

Recalling how UoM became one of the first Universities in the country  to have a Post-Graduate Computer Science Department, Prof. Hemantha Kumar said that when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister in mid-1980s, Dr.Arunachalam, the then Defence Secretary, who also happened to be a native of Mysuru, recommended Rajiv Gandhi for setting up Computer Science Department in three Universities each in South India and North India in order to meet the growing demand for scientists in the Defence sector. Heeding to the recommendation, the Rajiv Gandhi Government sanctioned Rs.2 crore in 1986 for the purpose, following which the Post-Graduate  Computer Science Department came up in UoM, among the three sanctioned South Indian Universities. He also disclosed that he himself was a first batch student of the PG course.

MDJA President S.T. Ravikumar, in his address, observed that there is a lot of difference in what Journalism students learn in Universities and the practical nature of Journalism, which involves a lot of field work. As such, there is a need for Journalism Institutions to join hands with MDJA and KMA, for imparting real-time training and practical skills to students, for which MDJA was ready, he noted.

Underlining the contributions of  Prof. Nadig Krishnamurthy, Ravikumar opined that Nadig has taken the dignity of the Academy to the highest levels in the country.

Prof. Nadig Krishnamurthy’s daughters Dr. Vijayalakshmi Sudhakar and Krupa Nadig were felicitated on the occasion.

Prof. K.V. Nagaraj, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Central University at Silchar, Assam, delivered a special lecture on the topic ‘Prof. Nadig’s Memories and the way forward for Media Education.’

KMA, Bengaluru, Chairman K. Sadashiva Shenoy presided.

Head of UoM Journalism Department Prof. Niranjan Vanalli, KMA Secretary C.Roopa, members Koodli Gururaj and C.K. Mahendra, MDJA General Secretary M. Subramanya and  others were present at the event.