Students of mass communication department of Karim City College. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, May 25: Mass communication has emerged as a promising career option for girls of Jamshedpur.

The mass communication department of Karim City College, a constituent unit of Ranchi University, has proved to be a huge help in this regard.

In the past decade, the department has witnessed advancement in technology and infrastructure and a mammoth increase in number of girl candidates enrolling for this course.

Arundhati Singh, a music teacher said: “I wanted to become a journalist. But my dream remained stillborn as my father felt that journalism did not suit a girl’s temperament.”

Neha Tiwari, the head of the department of mass communication, said: “When the department came into existence in 1997, hardly any girl applied for this course. The class had a strength of 30, including 21 boys and just nine girls.”

Shweta Sharma, a student of mass communication, said: “Media has immense scope for girls and the best part is that staying here we can prove ourselves. Journalism was a distant dream for girls of the city, but Karim City College has helped us realise our dreams.”

“It does not matter if we do not take admission in the best institutions. What matters is that after getting the requisite qualification, we excel in the field,” said Priyanka Kar, another student.

Swati Ram of Sacred Heart Convent School clinched 93 per cent in Plus Two examination and now wishes to take up mass communication in Karim City College. Ram said: “Priorities for girls are changed nowadays. They no longer wish to become teachers, media professionals is what they aspire to become.”

Standing as an icon for the girls is the head of the mass communication department, Neha Tiwari. Having worked for a leading English magazine for several years, today, she manages the entire department.

The increasing number of girls opting for mass communication gives rise to a perplexing question, does mass communication have lesser scope for the boys?

To this, Tiwari replied: “There is equal scope for both boys and girls, but girls are more attracted to this field because of the glamour quotient, while boys are still restricted to engineering, medical and IT streams.”

But the fact that an equal number of candidates (boys and girls) are applying cannot be overlooked. But more number of girls get through.

Statistics reveal that the present batch of mass communication comprises 35 girls and 15 boys. Since the first batch, the equation has completely changed now. Siddharth Ojha, a student of the present batch, said: “Our class is dominated by women. We are waiting to see some Barkha Dutts and Alka Saxenas coming from our batch.”