Fears over India’s new media university based on China’s state-run institution

The Indian government’s plans to spend US$32 million on a media university modelled on the state-run Communication University of China has come under fire, with critics alarmed that the world’s biggest democracy should seek inspiration on media matters from a one-party state.

The new media school – to be run by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry – is hoped to be running in three years. It will function as an umbrella organisation for all Indian universities offering media and film studies.

A ministry official said the main goal was to address the growing communication needs of the country by training skilled, world-class professionals. “The Beijing model fits in well with our scheme of things,” he added.

Sources said the idea for the media school came from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, who is known for his astute communication skills.

Modi, 64, used a recent speech to push for more professionalism among India’s journalists.

“There is some race, competition taking place in the media. The print media is competing with the electronic media and the social media. I feel it’s best in the interests of the nation if the media carries out criticism and thereby ensures refining of the country’s overall system. If media confines itself to levelling allegations, we would lose our power as a nation,” Modi said.