Panchajanya editor in IIMC executive council

NEW DELHI: The new executive council of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), the country’s premier school for media studies, will meet on October 31, after nearly a year, persons familiar with the development said on Thursday.

The new executive council , which has been formed after a gap of nearly five months, has on board Hitesh Shankar, editor Panchajanya, a newsletter associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; Rakesh Khar, editor special projects, Network 18, Smita Prakash, editor news agency ANI and senior journalist MD Nalapat.

The new executive council which has a secretary of the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry as chairperson, is responsible for taking decisions related to administration, budget and infrastructure.

The new executive council will have a fixed term of two years. The IIMC Society takes the final call on decisions related to budgetary allocations before it is presented Parliament.

“These nominations in the category of eminent persons from the field of public life and journalism and other communication fields have been made by the Information &Broadcasting ministry,” said an official aware of developments on the condition of anonymity.

Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) director general KG Suresh declined to comment on the executive council’s composition and about reasons for the delay in finalising the nominees to the executive council and IIMC Society.

The Information and Broadcasting ministry has also nominated Prof Kapil kumar of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Prof Makkhan Lal, of Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management and Professor Vijay Dharukar, vice-chancellor of the Central University of Tripura as representatives of universities, educational institutions and departments of journalism and mass communication of the IIMC Society. to