Asian College of Journalism, Chennai is inviting applications for admission to Postgraduate Diploma programme in Journalism in the streams / specialisations of Print, Television and Web Media / New Media and Radio for the year 2012-13. The duration of the program is three trimesters. Popular as ACJ, the college is managed and supported by Media Development Foundation and closely associated with The Hindu Group. ACJ is one of the best journalism college in the country with excellent faculty and facilities. ACJ also has partnership with Cardiff University for M.A. in Journalism. If you are more inclined towards a career in print and web journalism, you can also consider joining in Times School of Journalism or Malayala Manorama promoted, Manorama School of Communication. Following are other details o ACJ:

Eligibility: Applicants should have Graduation in any discipline. THose studying their final year degree also can apply. They have to provide the degree certificate the end of February 2013 if selected to the program. Selection of the candidates is based on an entrance test held at various centres in India and abroad in late May 2012. Short listed candidates will be called for personal interview at the college in Chennai during mid June 2012. The academic year will begin on July 9, 2012. Apart from ACJ, there are some more specialised institutions for TV journalism such as NDTV Broadcast Training Programme of NDTV Group.

Applications forms are available at www.asianmedia.org.in . Filled in forms should carry a demand draft for Rs. 1000/- favouring ‘Media Development Foundation’ payable at Chennai along with application. SC/ ST candidates need not pay the fee and they have to produce their community certificates in this regard along with application. The last date for receipt of properly completed application forms is April 30, 2012.

Address: Asian College of Journalism, Second Main Road, (Behind M.S Swaminathan Research Foundation) Taramani, Chennai-600113; Phone: 044- 22542840 / 22542842 . Website: www.asianmedia.org.in ; Email: asian_media@ vsnl.com

The CSIR-UGC NET qualified candidate will have good career prospective after completion of his / her Ph.D. He can join as a postdoctoral fellow / research associate to carry further research. Apart from the fellowship (16,000+ HRA for JRF and 18,000+ HRA for SRF) the candidate also qualifies for lectureship (LS), which is mandatory to join in the universities as a Lecturer / Assistant Professor or to join as a scientist in the government funded research organizations. The candidates qualified in CSIR-UGC NET for JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) can join in any of the reputed CSIR/ ICMR/ DBT laboratories or IISCC and IIT’s to pursue his / her P.hD. Following are some of the reputed CSIR institutes / organisations:

1. Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow
2. National Institute of Oceanography, Goa
3. Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad
4. National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore
5. Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants, Lucknow
6. Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata
7. Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore
8. Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh
9. Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad
10. National Chemical Laboratory, Pune
11. Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee
12. Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur
13. Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar
14. National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad

Apart from CSIR laboratories, you can also join in Central Universities and other state level reputed universities and research institutes for higher courses and research. The CSIR-UGC NET results are divided in to Three categories. These are CSIR-JRF, UGC-JRF and LS which will be based on the performance in the examination. CSIR-JRF, UGC-JRF fellows will receive their fellowship/ research grants from CSIR and UGC respectively. They can join in any laboratory or university based on their interest.

Another important feature of CSIR UGC NET is the top 10 percent of the CSIR-UGC NET qualified students will be invited / called for SPM fellowship (Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Fellowship) test once a year, normally in the month of July. The eligible candidates shall be called for interview by a panel of subject-experts for initial screening. The shortlisted candidates will be further interviewed by a panel of SPMF Core Committee members and subject committee chairmen for final selection of the candidates. This is a prestigious fellowship and the amount of fellowship is higher than CSIR – UGC JRF, that is 20, 000+ HRA for JRF and 24, 000+ HRA for SRF.