Whether you’re planning on pursuing media and communication or animation, one thing is for sure—you’ll find solace at Manipal Institute of Communication. Tucked away from the MIT campus, its artsy atmosphere will tickle your aesthetic senses and make you feel at home. And if that isn’t enough to get you pumped about college, just know that the students of MIC are among the best people you’ll ever meet—the seniors and juniors cannot be told apart and form one big welcoming family. To some students, MIC is not just a college but also an emotion. Three years in this college will pass by with just one snap of a finger.
History
Manipal Institute of Communication is the brainchild of Late Shri M V Kamath, who was a renowned journalist of his time. The college came into being with its aim of establishing an institution that would popularise the prospect of education in media. Started in 1997 with a postgraduate program, it soon after initiated its undergraduate program in the year 2001, which was in response to the phenomenal expansion of media equipped with the latest communication technology, to train competent skilful professionals who are equally sensitive to social values and public awareness. Being one of the most premium media schools in India, MIC has produced quite a few eminent media personalities.
Infrastructure
The college is located at about a distance of 200 meters from the main MIT Campus. The intake every year is about 120 students and they are usually segregated into two separate divisions. The classrooms are well-ventilated, with greenery spreading all over the campus. Wi-Fi isn’t available in classrooms, but the library and the labs are well-equipped with them. The classrooms surround a beautiful quadrangle which is painted every year by students in accordance with the theme of the college every year revealed in the college fest, Article 19. On the first floor, there is a computer laboratory whose computers are equipped with all the Adobe and Microsoft Office Suites. The labs are neatly divided into UG (Undergraduate) and PG (Postgraduate) for a hassle-free conductance of classes. There is a sound recording studio within the heart of the college with lots of equipment which one can borrow once they sign a permission slip. The college also has its own private radio station, where students are taught the basics of radio as a media.
The course is mainly theory based in the first half of the year and practical subjects are also introduced in the latter half.
The library is quite well stocked. You can find any book, journal, or magazine related to media and mass communication. The canteen has everything from samosas and maggi to sambhar rice and parathas, and those of you who crave non-vegetarian food (chicken puffs) and lime soda can walk a few feet away to the Akka’s shop right outside the gate. If neither of those are enticing enough, Anand Bhavan stands a few meters away, offering a plethora of South Indian food for hasty meals.
The highlight of the college is the common room which is a spacious, open area—built in the form of a concrete hut located right next to the canteen. The common room is inhabited by several friendly dogs who enjoy belly rubs and snack on food that students give them. Meetings are conducted throughout the year, and gatherings and other such events take place in the common room. The common room is also the consecutive hub for debates and discussion between students and faculty outside the restrictions of classrooms. During preparations for the annual college fest, you can find a group of students working late-night hours in the common room.
Academics
Much to the chagrin of students who spend a large part of the night in each others’ rooms staying up, classes at MIC begin at 9:00 A.M on most days of the week.
The professors are well versed in their subjects and are quite knowledgeable in their respective fields. Each student is assigned a faculty member as a mentor in their first year. Guest lectures are held from time to time, which are often beneficial to students for their course as well as for general knowledge. The first-year curriculum lays out the basic foundation for media and communication studies and thoroughly turns the most recent student of humanities into a professional by the end. The subjects for the first semester are as follows:
- English Language (Poetry)
- Human Communication and Presentation Skills
- Reporting and Writing
- Modern World History
- Environmental Science
- Fundamentals of Internet and New Media
All subjects of the first semester depend on extensive note taking during lessons as they become the primary source of information before exams. Maintaining the daily notebook for Reporting and Writing is a must as it’s graded towards the end of the semester. As for EVS, PowerPoint presentations are provided. The syllabus for Modern World History is easy if you’re a student from the ISC board as it is the same as the board’s curriculum for the 11th and 12th grade. Remember, scoring a GPA of 7 and above is not a difficult task if you keep yourself up to date with the curriculum as well as world news.
The subjects for the second semester comprise:
- English (Prose)
- Media Law and Ethics
- Computer Graphics
- Constitution of India
- Information Society
- Editing and Design
The subjects in the second semester are a lot more interesting than the first despite being tougher. Information Society is the most monotonous and difficult to score in as it consists mainly of case studies, theories, and extensive data. Do be wary and do not take it lightly.
The grading method is divided into a 50-50 scheme (i.e. 50 marks for internals and 50 marks for externals). However, a minimum score of 20 marks is required to pass the internal examination which is followed by the appearance in external examination. An internal examination is conducted in forms of creative assignments and tests throughout the semester. If a student fails the internals they will not be able to write the final exam at the end of the semester and will have a back in that subject which can be cleared in the next semester or any semester of your choice by paying the required & re-exam fees. A student can acquire 4 credits per core subject and 3 for elective subjects. Additionally, do keep in mind that a mandatory of 75% attendance is required to be able to take the external examination. E-pads have been introduced to the BAMC batch of students where sessionals, as well as end sem exams, are written on as an initiative to reduce paper wastage. Although it takes time to get used to writing on the e-pads, at least you have an excuse for your bad handwriting!
ARTICLE 19 and PROVERB
Article 19 is the oldest and one of the largest media events in India. This is a four-day event filled with workshops, guest lectures from media personalities, and other extracurricular events like potpourri, music, dance, quiz, etc. Article 19 is generally held during the first half of February.
Proverb, on the other hand, is a three-day national debate tournament. Teams from various colleges spread across the country participate in this British parliamentary form of debate held during late September.
AM PLUS
During the third semester, the batch is divided into groups and have to work on a newspaper called AM Plus. This is the media project for the semester and involves all the stages of making a newspaper—from writing reports and taking photographs to editing and designing the layout. The project was originally circulated as a weekly supplement for the newspaper Udayavani, whose press is a few meters away from MIC. Now, AM Plus is handed out at Student Plaza and other student hotspots, with the target demographic being starry-eyed first years such as yourself!
NAMMA ANGADI
Every year since 2004, the students of MIC have helped organize Namma Angadi; this is a three-day exhibition and sale of traditional products made by young artisans from Karnataka.
Promoted by Concerned for Working Children, a non-profit organization that works to empower children as well as adults, Namma Angadi was set up in 1992 to help rural craftsmen find a market for their products.
The exhibition includes a wide variety of traditional garments like Kalamkari and Mangalgiri Sarees, paintings, decorative items, handicrafts and natural products such as fertilisers, kokum, shikakai, organic soaps and honey.
All the proceeds from the event are used to fund Namma Bhoomi (‘our land’), a 6.35 acre campus in Kundapur town in Udupi District, where working children get a chance to continue with their education while earning a living.
Organizing the annual Namma Angadi is now a part of the event management curriculum of students pursuing a Master’s degree at the School of Communication.
The aim is to empower children and help them identify their own problems, construct their own solutions and promote self-sufficiency. The products sold during Namma Angadi are produced by skilled artisans of Namma Bhoomi, Hattiangadi, an NGO established by CWC as well as children who are trained during the vocational training provided by the NGO.
In 2020, Namma Angadi attracted a footfall of about 2,000 people from Manipal, Udupi and Mangalore and garnered a record total amount of about Rs. 23 lakhs.
It is highly suggested that you keep a minimum amount of money aside, to shop from this beautiful exhibition.
Exchange Programs
The institution encourages students both undergraduate and graduate to study one semester in universities outside India. Students for these exchange programs are selected by a committee of faculty members that judge them based on their academic credentials, performance in co-curricular activities, adaptability to different cultures and other parameters. Collaborations of the college in recent years are:
- Hochschule Bremen university of applied sciences, Bremen, Germany
- Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands
- University of Queensland, Australia
- Queensland University Technology, Australia
- Charles Sturt University, Australia
- Hogeschool Utrecht, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
- Aarhus University, Denmark
- Audencia Nantes School of Management, France
- Volda University College, Norway
- Metropolitan University Prague
- IHECS, Brussels
- Technische Hochschule George Simon Ohm, Nuremberg, Germany
- RMIT, Australia
The exchange program is popular for exposure to study, work, and life cultures of places abroad and the credit transfer for both incoming and outgoing students.
Hostels & Campus
MIC students are housed on the MIT side of the campus and it is mandatory for a first-year student to live in the hostels unless they happen to be a local resident. First-year girls will be in blocks 11, 12, and 21 while boys will be in blocks 16 and 19. The time permitted for the first-year students is 10:00 PM, after which if the student is found to be late, they’re asked to pay a fine and made to sign in the late-coming register.
The campus has everything a student would require within the vicinity of a kilometre, from campus stores located on either side of the campus to food centres like MFC and The Kitchen at Kamath Circle. The main messes for the campus are Food Court 1 which is located at the Kamath Circle and Food Court 2 opposite block 16, both of which can house up to 10,000 students. Certain hostels are equipped with their own personal messes as well and students can switch from one mess to another at the end of each month if they wish. The presence of campus patrol in the campus prioritizes the safety of students. The most refreshing quality about Manipal is its immortal greenery, which stretches across every nook and corner of the campus, providing a healthy and pollution-free environment to students.
To get an idea of the various hostels follow the links below.
Freshers’ Guide to Hostels (Girls)
Freshers’ Guide to Hostels (Boys)
Written by Gargi Pandey and Niharika Nayak for MTTN.
Revised by Shreshta Roy, Nethraa Kannan, Radhika Chatterjee, Sayantani Saha and Varun Vyas Hebbalalu for MTTN.
Photographs by Abhinav Patel and Budhaditya Mukhuty
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