Aspirant numbers dip, JU suspends mass comm course
Times of India | 16 December 2025
Kolkata: Jadavpur University (JU) is set to discontinue its one-year postgraduate diploma in mass communication course because of its lukewarm response this year.
The university website has put up a notice regarding the refund of application fees to the applicants. The university has also uploaded a link through which students must fill in the Google form to get a refund.
The course, under the Department of Adult Continuing Education and Extension, sought applications from students until Dec 1.
An official said, "Only 60 students submitted applications for the course this year. A small section would take admission after screening through admission tests. It will not be feasible to run a course with so few students, so the course has been discontinued. We are in the process of refunding the application fee to the students."
According to a source, the course that has been running since 1989, and it is the first time that it has been discontinued. Teachers pointed out that over the years, the demand for this one-year PG diploma course decreased. "There were 50 to 55 students who took admission to this course. In the last few years, there were students varying between 70 to 75. But this year, the number of applications is 60, which is sad," said a professor.
Many felt that the decline in popularity of the course might also be due to the constant controversy in the journalism department over unchecked answer scripts and other issues.
Another professor shared that it was unfortunate that how the number of students availing the course had been dwindling over the years.
"Ten years ago, we had 140 students enrolling for this course. But today we are discontinuing it," the professor said, requesting anonymity. The department also has a two-years Master's course in Journalism and Mass Communication.
An official said, "The students will get back Rs 100 application fee."