The country's premier journalism school Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) may soon have the status of a deemed university.

Newly-appointed minister of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Venkaiah Naidu has recently cleared a proposal to this effect. The proposal was approved by the executive council of the IIMC on June 21.

According to sources, the proposal also stated that the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune and Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI) Kolkata and the proposed institute of national centre for excellence in animation, gaming and visual effects will be affiliated to the IIMC.

Earlier there was a proposal to accord FTII and SRFTI, to be accorded the status of institutes of national importance. However, conferring them the status of 'institute of national importance' is possible only through an act of parliament, unlike giving the status of deemed university to an institute.

The final call of confering an institute the status of a deemed university is taken by the UGC and then the ministry of human resource development.

The UGC, had earlier rejected the ministry's "deemed university" proposal for IIMC, saying that it offers only PG diploma courses.

The move will enable the journalism school to start more degree courses and other specialisation courses. Currently, IIMC offers post graduate diploma in different streams of mass communication and journalism.

Senior officials from the I&B ministry said the proposal was pending for years. "In as early as 1969, the UNESCO had recommended that IIMC be made a standalone institute. Moreover, there has been several requests from the former students of IIMC to introduce degree courses in the institute," a senior official, privy to the development, said.

"Students who had completed courses from other universities for journalism like Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication in Bhopal and Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication in Jaipur, also opt for a course at the IIMC. The focus of the IIMC is set to shift from traning courses to teaching and research-oriented ones," the official added.

Director general of IIMC KG Suresh said a deemed university status to IIMC will help give an edge to the journalism school and help improve the quality of academics. "It will enable the IIMC to provide degree courses and add more specialised courses to the exisiting diploma offered. Mphil, PHD and other such courses, even for those preparing for civil services could be offered," he said.

An autonomous society under the I&B ministry, the IIMC has six campuses in Delhi and Dhenkanal (Odisha), Aizawl (Mizoram), Amravati (Maharashtra), Kottyam (Kerala) and Jammu.

Every year, its six centres admit 400 students every year, out of nearly 4,000 applicants. Inaugurated in 1965 by then I&B minister Indira Gandhi, the institute celebrated its golden jubilee last year.