Identity, Alterity and Social Media: Coercing Silence

richard-rego_dharma-article_identiy_alterity-social-media-coercing-silenceDownload

Here is one of my articles published two years ago in the Journal of Dharma, Vol. 43, Issue 1 (January – March 2018), pp. 85-110.

Of if you want another link to the same article: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356452140_Design_and_Implementation_of_the_Management_System_of_College_Students%27_Sports_Scores_Based_on_PHP/references

And from here, you can go to the original link of the journal.

SSLC Results to be on 9-10th?

The Karnataka SSLC (10th Std) results, for which exams were held between late March and early April), were expected to announced on 08 May 2024.

But, for some reason, they are not declared today; instead, they will be published either on the 9th or 10th of May.

You may visit this website https://kseab.karnataka.gov.in/

Karnataka SSLC Board Results – 2024

The results of the Karnataka State School Leaving Certificate (SSLC or 10th standard) board are expected to be declared in the week beginning 06 May 2024. Most probably, people say, they will be declared on 08 May.

Though there has not been any official announcement to this effect, it is widely rumoured that the KSEAB will declare the results in the next two or three days.

It may be noted that the Karnataka SSLC students sat their 10th standard exams between 25 March and 06 April, and are now awaiting their results. While some are busy vacationing, others have been busy preparing to join some prestigious higher secondary (11-12th or senior secondary) school.

Students can visit the KSEAB site for their results:

http://www.karresults.nic.in

http://www.kseab.karnataka.gov.in

Admissions to SCMS: second cycle

Admissions to the School of Communication and Media Studies (SCMS) at St Joseph’s University (SJU), Bengaluru, are a special moment when all of us faculty and staff come together to pool our energies and expertise together.

Unlike the typical entrance tests, we have a very different way of testing our applicants. SCMS, annually, receives about 1200 applications to its three Under Graduate and two Masters/ Post Graduate programs for a combined intake of about 220 per year. That is a whopping 1:6 ratio, which speaks extremely well for any academic program or department or School – more specially for its faculty.

The very same programs in other colleges and universities across the country and in Bengaluru are struggling to pull-on; some prestigious Schools of Communications have closed down. So, to have so much faith of applicants is flattering and fulfilling.

We take extreme care in selecting our candidates: we have an entrance test followed by an expert panel interview, and finally a final interview.

At the first level – we invite every applicants who has applied to the School of Communication – irrespective of their marks. In fact, we don’t give much weightage to their marks from previous classes. Rather, we assess our applicants with our own test and interviews – both quantitatively and qualitatively.

A week before the test (St Joseph’s University Entrance Test – SJUET), we send study material to all applicants by email, and also post it on our website. It consists of mostly YouTube and website links – videos and reading material. Just a little relevant material for us to test. Any ordinary student, with a genuine desire, should be able to go through these in half-a-day or a day.

In the meantime, for our internal purpose, we prepare two separate questionnaires with answers – for the examiners. It consists of fill-in-the blanks type of “objective”ly answerable questions, as well as approximately 50% analytical/ critical/ creative questions. In addition, we also have a lot of questions (mini question-bank, so to say) on basic numeric, logical abilities, current affairs, and general domain-related questions.

A second part of the SJUET is the interview – to assess the student’s attitude to learning, clarity about their own goals vis-a-vis their application, focus, portfolio, etc.

After this, the students are shortlisted, based on the interviewers’ detailed assessment/ comments and marks. After a week, the select candidates appear online for a final interview. This method has proved very useful in every way, including the overall quality of students throughout their days on the campus.

It means a lot of sweat, toil, and labour! But rich dividends. All of us are happy – students, faculty, and the university.

With Creighton University USA

One of the most fulfilling and frustrating aspects of heading the Centre for Global Initiatives or Global Engagement (International Exchange) is dealing with foreign universities, their persons, protocols, and correspondence. It can be overwhelming.

I have been heading International Exchange program (rechristened Global Initiatives in 2022) since 2015, from the time complaints came up from the some foreign universities that St Joseph’s College (now St Joseph’s University) Bengaluru/ Bangalore was not responding to emails. Then, the lot fell on me to take it up – though I knew nothing about this. That’s when, Seattle University, Washington State, USA, -one of the aggrieved partners- renewed their attempts to connect with us. I took it head on. What happened after that -as they say- is history!

This work has been one of the most fulfilling, to use a euphemism. I am a full-time faculty -teaching about 14-18 contract hours a week-, plus actively involved in the administration of the School of Communication and Media Studies (and that takes away the bulk of my energy and time). I guide Under Graduate projects, term papers, Masters dissertations, and Ph.D. students. As the Dean, I meet every batch of students at least once a week (some time more times) in my capacity as Dean to collect faculty evaluation and listen to students or just teach them some skills (to keep in touch with students, of course!); collage evaluation, meet my colleagues for a chat every now and then (if they are happy , if they work well, and everything goes on well, my work is made easy) – students are happy, and then I am happy, too!. So, therefore, my colleagues’ well-being and happiness is of utmost importance to me.

And, I being a Jesuit, there are any number of meetings and programs to attend and a few to conduct. Most holidays are taken away for this purpose.

Amid that, this work as Director of the Centre for Global Initiatives. Later lat academic year (sometime in March-April 2023) we hired Mr Venugopal (former Director of ICCR – Indian Council for Cultural Relations under the Government of India) to start a centre for International students. The purpose was to have many more international students on campus at St Joseph’s. But Mr Venugopal wanted to be only an Associate Director (under me), and not the director. He, with Dr J.W. Lobo, had some interesting reasons for this, and I was left with no choice in spite of my vehement resistance. Now, with a new designation -Director, Centre for International Affairs- my job was a bit more complex.

Fortunately, after much pleading and pressurising, I got a part-time assistant for the School of Communication, who also doubles up as Office Assistant in the Centre for International Affairs. That was late last year. She does a lot of our communication and other secretarial work, which is a great boon.

With all these, and even before since 2015, our global initiatives work has been much appreciate by many foreign universities and our Indian counterparts. Since then, we have signed close to twenty MOUs besides a big MAGIS Exchange Program MOU, to about 45 international Jesuit universities are signatories. Every semester, two students are able study abroad -with all of them waiving off the tuition fee, and some even offering stipended internships to make up for their board, accommodation, and personal expenses. And our students are just awaiting these incentives.

Of course, I have been getting hundreds of requests to sign MOUs for ‘exchange programs’. But they mean by these ‘exchange programs’ is that St Joseph’s should supply them with our students, because most foreign (and many Indian, too) universities are running short of students. Theirs is a genuine concern to keep the institutions going. But that doesn’t benefit us in anyway – our students have to cough up big fees to study there, and how do we compensate out staff and teachers most of whom bring us good name, and keep us going? Hence, I turn down these requests for MOUs.

I prefer to work with Jesuit universities who have a set of shared values, and understand our concerns. Sometimes, it has been difficult to convince them to accept our conditions (for fee waiver), but many are willing to listen. Along with student exchange, we also work for faculty and researcher exchange, short-term study abroad programs, join-research, etc.

So, as part of our short-term study abroad program, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, is very keen to work with us. In fact, three of their students were eager to spend a semester at St Joseph’s already in 2020. But the pandemic struck! One of the three was so eager, that he waited for one full year to come to St Joseph’s, even ignoring the health risks during covid.

Here we are, picking up the gauntlet! As part of preparation for this visit, a three-member team of Dr Rene Padilla, the Provost for Global Engagement (my counterpart at Creighton University – CU), Dr Rolando, Director of Study Abroad Programs, and Ms Krista Cupich, Director of Global Engagement (Incoming students) are with us these days. On 17th April, we hosted them at St Joseph’s Bangalore. The next early morning, we left for Mangalore by road. Currently visiting and studying Mangalore and our preparedness to host their students (that is a requirement for them).

In July-August six of their students will be with us at St Joseph’s for a ten-day Study Abroad program. We want to give them a wholesome experience of Indian (rather south Karnataka) culture and sustainability. They will be mostly in Bangalore, and partly in Mangalore, too.

In between, we managed to steal some time to visit Ideal Pabbas ice-cream parlour (iconic ice-cream eatery!) and this morning, sometime at the under-explored Someshwara (Kotekar) beach on the Arabian coast.

PUC-Karnataka Results

Karnataka Higher Secondary Board is Education exams (12th Std or PDC) are just about over. Students are cooling off, while others are worried about which college/ university will they enrol themselves for studies.

Before it all, they need their results. Hate is the good news: Karnataka PUC-II results will be announced either on 8th of 10th April.

Visit this page for more timely and relevant content.

Happy Easter

We are in the Holy Season of Easter. This is when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from his death.

On Good Friday, we commemorated the passion and death of Jesus in the hands of Jewish priests and Roman political leadership. And, historically, they thought Jesus was dead and gone. But he triumphed even in his death.

The beauty of the death of Jesus is that it is the triumph of every human being who fights against injustice and violence, for goodness and Godness. This is an effort in humanity reaching divinity. Resurrection is the encounter of that human with the divine.

At St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru, we have solemn commemoration of this Holy Triduum consisting of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday (the silent day) followed by Easter Sunday.

The Maundy Thursday is the day when Jesus gave his new Commandment (mandamus = covenant, command) of love and service. That is when he also established the Eucharist (thanksgiving meal, the precursor to today’s Holy Mass and, by extension, the sacrament of priesthood). Good Friday is good because it reminds us that God lays down his life for us and for our happiness, salvation, and that God is with us. (BTW, we don’t “wish a happy Good Friday”, please!) Holy Saturday is a silent day to meditate with His mother Mary, and prepare for the Easter Vigil.
We had the Easter vigil on Saturday at 7.00pm. As usual, I sang the Exultet or the Easter Proclamation which proclaims the resurrection of Jesus solemnly. It takes about non-stop 11-12-minutes of solo singing! I have been singing it for the last few years (or decades). Sometimes, I sing the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (with different people singing different parts, but usually I sing the narrator’s part, which is the longest); this singing takes about 20-25 minutes! I have sung all the parts of this Passion.

Yesterday was special. I enjoyed it. Seemingly, others, too. Thanks to their kindness.

Easter Sunday was rather quiet – except a good lunch. And then -academically- a fruitful day: I completed an article for Deccan Herald. Spent about 10 hours in the last two-three days.

SSLC exams begin

It is the end of the academic year in schools. And Karnataka’s Secondary School Leaving Certificate scheme (SSLC or 10th standard) children are preparing for their final exam. These are state level public exams, and matter a lot to students’ progression – what stream of subjects like Science, Commerce, or Arts/ Humanities they would opt for next year (for 11th-12th or Higher Secondary level).

Karnataka’s PUC or Pre-University College or Higher Secondary or 12th standard exams are just about over last week. Now, students studying in Karnataka Government schooling board (SSLC) will be facing their first exam on Monday (25 March 2024). My nephew Gavin also is sitting his maiden state level exams. What is special about him is he is studying in a lowly Kannada medium government/ public school, and in any much-hyped private or English medium school! (In India, ‘government’ education institutions are mostly patronised by those who don’t have money and can’t get a seat in a private school!)

When I called him this evening, he told me he has studied thoroughly, now he is feeling bored revising the same thing again and again! It feels nice. But I want him and mover 8,69,000 students in Karnataka to keep up their energy levels high, and do well.

Here is wishing all the best to these kids! Come out through flying colours.

Getting ready for yet another Entrance Test

The School of Communication & Media Studies at St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru, completed its first cycle/ first list of entrance exams – St Joseph’s University Entrance Test (SJUET, formerly called COMET – Communication Entrance Test) in February. That cycle was only for Under Graduate aspirants since most of them would be getting ready for their 12th standard public exams, yet worried about ‘what next’.

We didn’t hold SJUET for Post Graduate (Masters) aspirants at SJU, since most of them are still in their late 5th semester or early 6th semester, and had a long way to complete the semester.

The second cycle of SJUET will have entrance tests both for UG and PG aspirants. The tests will be conducted on 13 April. It will be in online mode – both entrance tests combined with the first round of interviews. Those who clear the test and the interviews, will be shortlisted and intimated by email within 7-10 days, and invited for the final round of interviews (online).

This will be the second cycle of entrance tests for the UG aspirants at SJU and the first for the PG aspirants.

You can find your applications here. If you have any doubts about your application, you could mail to admssions.icms@sju.edu.in

Admissions 2024: Entrance Test

As the new calendar year approaches, some serious thoughts of a new academic year looms large, even though that may be about seven to eight months away. That is the nature of academics, especially if you are a private college or a university; government (‘sarkari’ as many might call them!) institutions don’t bother about this since they get their salaries whether or not students join!

At St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru, we have the School System or Deanery. Mine is a privilege to be heading, probably, the best School (School of Communication and Media Studies; formerly it was named ‘Institute of…’) in the university, all thanks to my wonderful colleagues. Without buttering and cajoling them, they are the best. I know this as an insider and an outsider. Assessing so many staff and departments at various occasions, one of the most important reasons to be grateful to God is my colleagues (and students). And there is no second thought about it.

We started our admissions in the School of Communication for five integrated programs for the year 2024-25. The five include three Under Graduate (UG) and two Masters or Post Graduate (PG). The latter two – M.A. (Journalism and Mass Communication) and M.A. (Advertising and Public Relations) was not included in this cycle. They will be included in April, May, and June. The three UG programs are B.A. (Visual Communication, BVC), B.Voc. (Visual Media and Filmmaking), and B.Voc. (Digital Media and Animation).

Though the progress was smooth, the preparation was not so simple – we had to rub shoulders to come to a consensus. That is the beauty of teamwork – every member is capable of thinking and articulating it irrespective of agreement. Preparation started in October. All our companions stood by us – one another.

We have developed a unique way of conducting entrance tests. Prior to the test, we send a collection of video and article links as study material to the students. A set of question papers with answer keys are prepared, and all of us prepare ourselves to be on the operations panel.

During the test, it is very enlightening to interact with students – with their energy and whatever preparations they have done.

That was on 18 Feb. 2024. First of the cycles. And all of us enjoyed it thoroughly.

Media Con 2024

It was one of the most satisfying experiences – of being a part of Media Conference. Finally, we pulled it off.

Preparations began almost a year ago – sometime at the end of the last academic year. As the academic year was coming to an end, I requested Dr Anupama Sharma to take charge of the forthcoming year’s media conference. Initially, she had some hesitation, worries and doubts about it. But I knew she could head it successfully. Why not? We have a team of capable faculty who can stick their neck out, and students who have proved time and time again that they are up for any challenge. And we did it, thanks to Dr Sharma, and our committed team.

{The inauguration panel of Prof. Rajeev Gowda and Mr Pawan Khera, along with the journalists’ panel Siddiqui, Kalappa, Mahadev, and others}

During the summer break of 2023-24, emails kept flying regularly. By the time the new academic year began in July 2024, we more or less knew what we wanted for this conference – Media and Politics. It later got polished as Media, Politics, and Governance. I was keen that we rope in Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) since it give not only financial support, but also a certain standing in academia. But, that is another cup of, tea altogether.

We tried to Dr Shashi Tharoor as our Chief Guest for the conference; but he was to be busy with the (then) planned Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Then, I tried for Mr Jairam Ramesh – the articulate, scholarly political leader. Even, he excused himself because of the same yatra. And, then, it stuck to us that Mr Pawan Khera, Member of Congress Working Committee (CWC) and All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Chairman of Media & Publicity Department. He willingly agreed. And then, our own alumnus Prof. Rajeev Gowda.

Dr Anupama also put together a powerful panel of journalists – Siddique Kappan (the journalist arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police for GOING to do his duty of reporting a victim of gang-rape), Mr Paranjoy Guha Takurta (writer, journalist who was punished for being honest with Economic and Political Weekly journal!, documentary filmmaker, and teacher, Aiyshwarya Mahadevan (Congress Party’s social media head, Karnataka), Supreme Court lawyer and former Aam Aadmi Party leader Brijesh Kalappa, and moderator Ms Pooja Prasanna).

{Ashish Bhandarkar, my M.A. student of Journalism of Mass Communication, presenting his research on YouTube news formats and their efficacy}

MediaCon is primarily a signature event of our students of M.A. (Journalism & Mass Communication). It is the outgoing students’ swan song. But we wanted our M.A. (Advertising & Public Relations) students, also to be actively involved. After all, they have not had a signature event of their own. They too joined hands; and we included a panel of corporate communications heads (and my good friends) – our alumnus and founder – CEO of Why-Axis Advertising Agency Mr Niranjan Natarajan, Joint Director of PRHub Ms Sumati Chari, former Ogylvy head (South) Mr N. Ramamoorthi, former VP of GAME and current CEO of Tenali Rama, along with Prof. Naresh Rao as moderator.

{Ms Ashwini, Ph.D. scholar from Mangalore university presenting her research on Effectiveness of educational branding}

An international conference must have an international component. We put in place a panel of renowned journalists -thanks to the generous help by my mentor and well-wisher Mr John Thomas- Ms Jeanette Rodriguez (Managing Editor, Bloomberg, South Asia), Reuter Breaking News Hub’s lead Mr Y. Rajesh, senior analyst and Indian correspondent with Japanese Kyodo News’ NNA.Asia, my friend Ayanangsha Maitra’s friend Mazhar Abbas from Pakistan’s much respected Geo TV, and my former student Niranjalli’s connection Mr Chris Brown – the Foreign Correspondent of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News, based in London (who, of course, had to fly to Israel during our conference!) It was one of best things to happen!

{a video grab from the international webinar, Mr Mazhar Abbas}

One of the best things about this conference was the response from scholars – we had over 50 research papers submitted for presentation. And some of our own students (including my three dissertation wards) presented their studies, here.

Though I was busy with another Jesuit Ph.D. scholars’ colloquium, at the same time for those two days, I also spent some time with the conference. I enjoyed every bit of it. What it has done is it has instilled a new confidence in us and among our students. It has brought them together. My first year M.A. students told me that they would present papers in the next year’s conference, and make the conference a bigger success.