NEW DELHI: The Aligarh Muslim University is to get a fortnightly one-hour fixed slot in the Urdu service of All India Radio for broadcasting a composite radio magazine programme which would include variety entertainment components including drama, music, recitations, coverage of important functions in the campus, excerpts of seminars, lectures, talks, interviews, sports related programmes etc.

The programme will be produced by the students of the Department of Mass Communication of the University but AIR will have the right to preview the programmes to ensure that the same are as per the broadcast code of AIR and other declared policies of the Government.

This follows the signing of what has been described as a ‘historic’ memorandum of understanding between the External Services Division of AIR and Aligarh Muslim University to cooperate in different areas of programme production. This MoU valid for three years will help in renewing the contact between External Services Division of AIR and AMU which was defunct for a while.

This MoU was signed by the Registrar of Aligarh Muslim University and the Dy. Director General of All India Radio at Aligarh today in the presence of AMU Vice Chancellor of AMU and External Services of AIR Director Amlanjyoti Mazumdar and other university officials.

Giving details of the MoU, Mazumdar said it is part of the overall exercise of External Services to revamp its technology and content. He said that as part of the MoU, both the institutions agreed to cooperate and coordinate with each other on a regular basis so as to ensure that AIR in general and External Services Division in particular can use the vast resource and talent pool available in AMU or enhancing the quantum and enriching the quality of the broadcast content of the different language services of external broadcast.

It was also agreed that a team from ESD AIR will visit AMU for three days in a month wherein talks, interviews, programmes in other radio formats including programmes for youth by the students shall be recorded in the AMU campus itself for broadcast by different language services of ESD.

AMU agrees to provide the studio and other AV equipment along with support of manpower available in the Department of Mass Communication of the University to facilitate audio and video recording.

ESD, AIR agreed to provide internship opportunities for hands-on training on various aspects of broadcast journalism, production of radio programmes etc to the students of the Mass Communication Department, AMU during different vacations without any Payment of fee etc.

AMU agreed to provide to AIR facilities like its auditorium, guest houses etc for organising concerts, mushaira or any other invited audience programme for the campus community in AMU on mutually agreed upon dates.

AMU will provide language skill orientation to the language professionals working with different language services of ESD, particularly for languages like Arabic, Persian, Pushto, Dari and Urdu Services in the respective language departments of AMU free of cost.

ESD, AIR will provide coverage to important events and happenings in the campus which are of relevance to its listeners.

The copyright of all programmes produced by AMU will vest with ESD, AIR and AMU/participants and the artistes collectively or individually will not be allowed to use these programmes elsewhere for broadcasting and non-broadcasting purposes.

Mazumdar said similar MoUs are in the offing with other major universities to strengthen different Indian and foreign language broadcast of ESD, particularly languages like Arabic, Baluchi, Dari, Persian, Pushtu and Urdu.