The introduction to the fest and the department was given by Organising Secretary Jayanth N Pethkar. Journalist and founder vice-chancellor of Makhan Lal Chaturvedi National Journalism University, Bhopal, Professor Radhey Shyam Sharma, presided over the inaugural ceremony.

Professor Sharma touched upon the faculty of thinking (soch) and its relevance to the journalist and also commented on the present status of journalism in India. He appreciated the efforts of the students of School of Communication Studies who have initiated a major step in this direction.

“The essence of thinking is a flow of ideas and any impediment in the growth of individual, leads to stagnation in the growth process of a journalist”, he said. “A good journalist has to be well-versed on the subject matter and should be an able writer in communicating the ideas into words,” he added.

Expanding on the benefits of the media fest Pethkar said, “The fest gives the students an opportunity to learn the ropes of organisational and managerial skills. They also act as an excellent springboard for interaction with practitioners of the field.”

He further emphasised on the department’s strength in keeping pace with the changing trends in media and keeping the syllabus in sync with the times.