The Ministry of Education has now granted “deemed University” status to the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi, India’s premier college for journalism education. 

This new status now empowers IIMC to award degrees rather than just diplomas, including doctoral degrees, reports PTI.

"The IIMC has been declared as deemed-to-be-university under distinct category. The declaration extends to IIMC New Delhi and its five regional campuses located in Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir), Amravati (Maharashtra), Aizawl (Mizoram), Kottayam (Kerala), and Dhenkanal (Odisha). With this new status, IIMC is now authorised to offer degrees, including doctoral degrees," an official from the institute said.

The IIMC also offers training to the officers of the Indian Information Service (IIS).

“A big thank you to the UGC for declaring Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi and its five regional centres as a Deemed to be University under distinct category. IIMC is committed to give its best to promote education, training, and research in mass communication," the institute wrote on social media platform X.

The idea of granting the IIMC deemed university status has been floating around for a long time, with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry approving the plan in 2016.

The Niti Aayog recommended that the IIMC should merge with either Jawaharlal Nehru University's Centre for Media Studies or Jamia Millia Islamia's AJK Mass Communication Research Centre in 2018, during a review of higher education establishments.

However, this proposal was rejected by the institute, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, and the Education Ministry (formerly known as the Ministry of Human Resource Development).