IIMC Supported Media School for Dalit and Tribal Youth Launched

To commemorate the 62nd death anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot launched the website of a media school which will teach journalism to the Dalit and tribal youth. This first-of-its-kind media school, Dr. Bhim Rao Ramji Ambedkar School of Media Empowerment (ASME) is supported by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. It will have branches in Uttarakhand, Pune, Assam and other regions. The Pune branch will begin functioning soon. The institute will include courses such as journalism, marketing, public relation, hairdressing, and 3D animation.

The school looks at helping the tribal youth and Dalit join the mainstream media as currently their number in media is significantly low as compared to their nationwide population, as per a statement. Since media doesn’t give them a reservation, this move will encourage the youth belonging to these sections to find employment opportunities in media.

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Gehlot, the Social Justice and Empowerment minister stated that the media school was an effort to make the marginalized sections find a place in mainstream journalism. He also emphasized that journalism and media training should be brought under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal scheme where these underprivileged youth can get hands-on-training in this field.

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The mission of the school as per the website is to “empower the youth belonging to marginalized, deprived and exploited sections of the society so they may use media as an instrument to bring changes in the society and raise the voice of the voiceless millions”. Further, the mission talks about how the “pathway is inspired by the vision of Dr. BR Ambedkar and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay to achieve this aim in a peaceful manner” and at the same time, train and educate the youth to serve the nation.