On Jan 31, the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), a 58-year-old institution known for its journalism and mass communication courses, was declared a deemed university under a distinct category by the Ministry of Education, based on the advice of the University Grants Commission.

The declaration applies to IIMC New Delhi and its five regional campuses in Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), Amravati (Maharashtra), Aizawl (Mizoram), Kottayam (Kerala), and Dhenkanal (Odisha).

With this new status, IIMC is now authorised to offer degrees, including doctoral degrees. The institute was established under the Union ministry of information and broadcasting, Aug 17, 1965 and is one of the premier institutions of its kind in the country, providing quality training in journalism and undertaking meaningful research in the field of media and mass communication.The institute currently offers Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism Courses in English, Hindi, Radio and TV, Urdu, Odia, Marathi, Malayalam and Advertising and Public Relations.