The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) will inaugurate a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme in Mass Communication and Journalism from the forthcoming academic year, marking the institute’s first venture into doctoral‑level training and research since its establishment in 1965. The decision, formally ratified at the 151st meeting of IIMC’s Executive Council, is being hailed by senior administrators as a decisive step toward positioning the institution as a premier hub for advanced scholarship in media studies, journalism practice and the rapidly evolving field of communication research.

Announcing the initiative, Vice‑Chancellor Anupama Bhatnagar said the institute is “fully prepared to shoulder the academic, infrastructural and administrative responsibilities that a rigorous PhD demands.” She added that doctoral scholars would gain access to IIMC’s national network of regional campuses, specialised media laboratories and archival resources, enabling them to undertake empirical studies that address both the theoretical contours and the day‑to‑day realities of India’s multilingual media ecosystem. “We want our scholars not merely to observe the media landscape from a distance but to work in the field, interrogate emerging challenges and advance solutions that matter to newsrooms, policy makers and communities alike,” she explained.

Registrar Nimish Rustagi underscored the programme’s research ambitions, noting that IIMC “intends to emerge as a leader in generating knowledge that pushes the frontiers of journalism, strategic communication and digital media.” He pointed to the institute’s long‑standing ties with public broadcasters, private news networks, development agencies and technology partners as the foundation for a research culture that is at once interdisciplinary and practical. “Our faculty already supervise master’s dissertations that deal with everything from algorithmic bias in news feeds to gender‑responsive advertising,” Rustagi said. “A dedicated PhD pathway will deepen that research and allow us to contribute to international scholarship on issues that are uniquely Indian yet globally relevant.”

The PhD rules, released on Monday via an official notification, lay out a framework that aligns closely with the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) revised regulations for doctoral admissions. Applicants will need a master’s degree in mass communication, journalism, or a cognate discipline with at least 55 percent marks (relaxations apply for reserved categories). The selection process will comprise a national‑level entrance test followed by an interview‑cum‑research proposal presentation before a panel of subject experts. Candidates with a valid UGC‑NET or JRF qualification may receive exemptions from the written examination, subject to the institute’s discretion.

While the notification does not disclose the precise number of seats, officials indicated that the inaugural cohort is likely to be “small but diverse,” ensuring each scholar benefits from close supervision and timely research milestones. Prospective guides will be drawn from IIMC’s core faculty as well as from collaborating universities and media organisations under a provision that allows co‑supervision to encourage inter‑institutional research. The institute is also finalising a roster of elective coursework covering media theory, advanced research methods, data journalism, communication policy and community media—modules designed to give candidates a strong methodological grounding before they embark on fieldwork.

Stakeholders across India’s media education landscape greeted the announcement with guarded optimism. Academics at central universities noted that IIMC’s historical mandate as an autonomous training body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting confers a unique industry orientation that could differentiate its PhD from more conventional communication studies doctorates. “IIMC combines state sponsorship with professional pragmatism,” remarked Prof. Sunita Raghavan of Delhi University’s Department of Journalism. “If they balance scholarly rigour with the needs of a volatile industry, their graduates could play an important role in news innovation and media literacy.”

Student groups, meanwhile, welcomed the prospect of an affordable, government‑supported doctoral option in the national capital region. “Many early‑career journalists want to pursue practice‑led research without stepping away from the newsroom entirely,” said Rhea Kapoor, an alumnus of IIMC’s PG Diploma in Radio & Television Journalism. “A PhD programme located within a media‑training institute could let us straddle both worlds—investigating, say, artificial‑intelligence‑assisted production workflows while continuing to file stories.”

The admission brochure detailing key dates, fee structures, fellowship opportunities and topic‑wise faculty expertise is expected on IIMC’s official website in the coming weeks. Sources suggest that the entrance examination may be scheduled for late July or early August, allowing selected candidates to commence coursework by October 2025. Funding avenues are likely to include a mix of government fellowships, industry‑sponsored projects and teaching‑assistant stipends; the Executive Council has reportedly tasked a finance sub‑committee with finalising these modalities.

The launch coincides with the tenth anniversary of India’s New Education Policy, whose emphasis on multidisciplinary research and global linkages has spurred specialised institutes to introduce doctoral offerings. IIMC officials hinted at collaborations with overseas journalism schools for joint seminars, summer schools and scholar exchange, aiming to situate research on Indian media within a comparative international context. Plans are also afoot to create a digital repository of doctoral theses to promote open access and wider dissemination.

In the broader scheme, the programme reflects the urgent need to interrogate how Indian journalism navigates challenges such as misinformation, newsroom precarity, regulatory flux and the linguistically fragmented public sphere. By equipping researchers to produce evidence‑based insights, IIMC hopes not only to enrich academic debate but also to supply data and analysis that inform government policy, newsroom standards and community media strategies. As Vice‑Chancellor Bhatnagar put it, “Our aspiration is simple but consequential: to make IIMC a crucible where ideas about the future of Indian media are forged and tested—and where the next generation of scholar‑practitioners can imagine journalism that serves democracy in the digital age.”

With applications set to open shortly, aspiring doctoral candidates—whether veteran reporters, communication consultants, technologists or recent post‑graduates—are watching the institute’s website for the detailed prospectus. If the promises of robust supervision, interdisciplinary coursework and practical engagement are fulfilled, IIMC’s first batch of PhD scholars could help chart a new research agenda for a profession that sits at the intersection of information, technology and public trust.