Falling EMRC standards bemoaned

PUNE, FEB 22: The Educational Media Research Centre EMRC, University of Pune, has reason to celebrate: It completed over 1,000 educational...

PUNE, FEB 22: The Educational Media Research Centre EMRC, University of Pune, has reason to celebrate: It completed over 1,000 educational programmes. And yet, the cup of woes spilleth over8230; The 14-year-old organisation continues to be dogged by bickering amongst its staff and even alleged harassment by a few senior producers.

If it was the issue of the resignations of three technical producers under protest that had generated discontent among the production staff over the mismanagement by the EMRC authorities in 1995, then unhealthy competition among the producers and harassment of its technical staff has lowered the morale of its 38-member personnel with a lot of time being wasted in resolving petty issues.

The lack of a full-fledged head of the School of Communication Studies attached to the centre has also aggravated the problems. Students seem to be the unfortunate victims as the examinations for the second and fourth semesters are likely to be delayed by a month. The results of the first andthird semester students which were to be declared by mid-January have also been delayed as students could not finish their video-production exercises due to the non-functioning of the editing equipment.

In fact so angered were a few faculty members that letters of complaint against the EMRC director Prof Vinay Dhumale who also has additional charge of the School of Communication Studies were sent in November-December last year to Vice-Chancellor Dr Vasant Gowariker. The complaints also pertained to the use of EMRC facilities for entertainment-based production 8211; specially a programme called Jaldi-Jaldi for Plus Channel. The faculty member on the condition of anonymity also alleged that outsiders were using the camera and editing equipment thereby flouting the rules.

The EMRC, Pune, which has a modern television studio with equipment worth Rs 5 crore dedicated solely for the production of educational television programmes, was also adjudged the highest among all media centres for the University GrantsCommission last year for the maximum number of quality-based programmes.

When contacted, Prof Dhumale told The Indian Express that disciplinary action is being initiated among some personnel regarding attendance and inter-personal behaviour. The EMRC equipments worth at least seven to ten crores are also functioning flawlessly, the director said, further stressing that the centre is highly under-utilised.

The Consortium for Educational Communication is happy with EMRC-Pune8217;s performance and its production quality, he added. Dhumale who took over as director in May last year admitted to receiving serious complaints which would hamper production work. 8220;Certain people have been found redundant,8221; Dhumale clearly mentioned and averred that a tightening of the belt was necessary.

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Outlining that he had got a clear mandate from the V-C to go ahead and invite outside experts, Dhumale also quoted rules which allowed the centre to raise resources through such means. 8220;There8217;s going to be no free lunch here. Wecan8217;t say when the University Grants Commission UGC stops the grant and in order to make it a modern efficient unit, we are encouraging more interaction between outsiders and our people to promote excellence,8221; says Dhumale.

He lamented that the lack of spares to repair the recording equipment led to the delay in the completion of the video production exercises by the third semester students. 8220;However, we have seen the rushes of their ten-minute film presentations and will declare the results within a week.8221;