Educational Multimedia Research Centres (EMMRC)
·The UGC set up Media Centres in various universities and institutions in the country with the objectives to
produce educational programmes for electronic media.
·The Centres are engaged in production of Video & Multimedia based programmes.
·CEC has perhaps the largest repository of Educational Video programmes being produced by its Media
Centres, numbering more than 17,000.
·At present about 1000 Video based programmes and almost same number of e-Contents based on UGC
model curriculum is being produced annually by the Media Centres.
·These programmes are telecast on VYAS Higher Education Channel.
·CEC in its media center circuit is having 22 centres across the country known as EMMRC
EMMRC in India
In 1984, University Grant Commission (UGC) launched Country Wide Class Room (CWCR) and production
facilities at six universities in India through establishing media centres in the
name of Audio Visual Research Centres.
These centres were renamed as Educational Multi Media Research Centres (EMRCs‟).
The centres are engaged in production of Video and Multimedia based programmes. These Programmes are
telecasted on DD VYAS Higher Education Channel. UGC set up EMRCs‟ in various universities and
institutions in the country with the objectives to produce in-house educational programmes. These centres are
fully equipped with TV Studio for single and multi-camera production and support outdoor production. With
the continued support of the universities, UGC and students, EMRCs‟ have been churning out and continue
to dole out quality material. Until now, 23 million consumers have watched the EMRC content over the web
and TV.
Given how rapidly the world is evolving in this 21st century, EMRC is rapidly reshaping
itself to cater to needs of the new academic world. The challenge here is to fully embrace technology and
specifically ICT and its applications. The reach and access to quality education for all in a country of billion
plus can be ensured through technology enabled education modules and courses in the form of MOOCs
(Massive Open Online Courses). That is something EMRC is striving to do so.
Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC)
To help the EMRCs‟ coordinate their efforts, the CEC was set up in 1993.. This body facilitated
communication between the EMRCs‟Established in 1993, it serves the goal of addressing the needs of
higher education through the use of ICTs‟.
CEC has 21 EMRCs as consortium members also known as a Media Centres. T h e s e multimedia
educational content producers are located in different universities/ institutions across the length & breadth of
the country.
AVRC
The full name of AVRC is Audio-Visual Resource Centre.As early as in 1984 University Grant
Commission ,New Delhi has launched country wide classroom (CWCR) And production facilities at 6
universities in india through establishing media centres in the name of Audio Visual Resource Centre.This
was mainly to use electronic media for the quality enrichment of higher education.
Audio Visual Research Centre provides valuable resource material for higher education and
mass communication. The program-mes produced at the centre are televised under UGC /CEC
countrywide classroom programme. During 1996-97, the centre produced 16 educational programme
covering various subjects like earth sciences, ecology, wildlife, chemistry, maths, sports, social sciences and
classical dance etc. despite staffing constraints. Of these 6 programme were produced in Hindi.
The center also undertakes research in all aspects of educational technology in relation to learning for
both urban and rural collage going students in various disciplines. It invites faculty from within and outside
the University as subject experts to participate in the activities of the centre to write scripts on the topics of
their subject specialization followed by the production of film. The centre has made
about 180 programmer covering various subjects and areas.
AVRC collection consists of educational programmes both in analogue and digital formats such as
Audio cassettes, Video cassettes, VCDs, DVDs and CD-ROMs. The centre provides individual viewing/
audio facilities and group viewing facilities at the AVRC. The cassettes that are converted to DVD /CD
formats are being kept at the Virtual Resource Centre for easy access
IGNOU
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), established by an Act of Parliament in 1985, has
continuously striven to build an inclusive knowledge society through inclusive education. It has tried to
increase the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) by offering high-quality teaching through the Open and Distance
Learning (ODL) mode.
The University began by offering two academic programmes in 1987, i.e., Diploma in Management and
Diploma in Distance Education, with a strength of 4,528 students.
Today, it serves the educational aspirations of over 3 million students in India and other countries through 21
Schools of Studies and a network of 67 regional centres, around 2,667 learner support centres and 29
overseas partner institutions. The University offers about 228 certificate, diploma, degree and doctoral
programmes, with a strength of nearly 810 faculty members and 574 academic staff at the headquarters and
regional centres and about 33,212 academic counsellors from conventional institutions of higher learning,
professional organisations, and industry among others.
The mandate of the University is to:
• Provide access to higher education to all segments of the society;
• Offer high-quality, innovative and need-based programmes at different levels, to all those who
require them;
• Reach out to the disadvantaged by offering programmes in all parts of the country at affordable
costs; and
• Promote, coordinate and regulate the standards of education offered through open and distance
learning in the country.
• To achieve the twin objectives of widening access for all sections of society and providing continual
professional development and training to all sectors of the economy, the University uses a variety of
media and latest technology in imparting education. This is reflected in the formulated vision of
IGNOU, keeping its objectives in focus, which reads:
The Indira Gandhi National Open University, the National Resource Centre for Open and Distance Learning,
with international recognition and presence, shall provide seamless access to sustainable and learner-centric
quality education, skill upgradation and training to all by using innovative technologies and methodologies
and ensuring convergence of existing systems for large-scale human resource development, required for
promoting integrated national development and global understanding.
The University has made a significant mark in the areas of higher education, community education and
continual professional development. The University has been networking with reputed public institutions and
private enterprises for enhancing the educational opportunities being offered by it. As a world leader in
distance education, it has been conferred with awards of excellence by the Commonwealth of Learning
(COL), Canada, several times.
The University is committed to quality in teaching, research, training and extension activities, and acts as a
national resource centre for expertise and infrastructure in the ODL system. The University has established
the Centre for Extension Education, National Centre for Disability Studies and National Centre for
Innovation in Distance Education, to focus on specific learner groups and enrich the distance learning
system.
With the launch of EduSat (a satellite dedicated only to education) on 20th September, 2004, and the
establishment of the Inter-University Consortium, the University has ushered in a new era of technology-
enabled education in the country. All the regional centres and high enrollment study centres have been
provided with active two-way video-conferencing network connectivity, which has made it possible to
transact interactive digital content.
Emphasis is now being laid on developing interactive multimedia and online learning, and adding value to
the traditional distance education delivery mode with modern technology-enabled education within the
framework of blended learning.
Over the years, IGNOU has lived up to the country’s expectations of providing education to the marginalised
sections of society. Free of cost education is being provided to all jail inmates across the country. A large
number of SC/ST students have been admitted to various programmes of the University.
CIET
Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) is a constituent unit of the National Council of
Educational Research and Training (NCERT), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Human
Resources Development, Government of India. Established in 1984 with the merger of the Center of
Educational Technology (1973) and Department of Teaching Aids (1959), its chief aim is to promote
Educational Technology especially mass media singly or in combinations (multimedia packages) to extend
educational opportunities and improve quality of educational processes at the school level.
As a premier institute of Educational Technology at the National level, major functions of the CIET-NCERT
are based on Research and Development, Training, Extension and Dissemination functions are as given
below:
a. To design, develop, try out and disseminate alternative learning systems to achieve the national goal of
universalisation of elementary and secondary education.
b. To address various educational problems at micro, meso and macro levels.
The areas of activities of the CIET based on Research and Development, Training, Extension and
Dissemination functions are as given below:
• To design and produce media software materials viz., television/ radio (for both broadcast as well as
non-broadcast use) graphics and other programmes for strengthening the transaction of curricular and
co-curricular activities at the school level.
• To create competencies in development and use of educational software materials mentioned above
through training in areas such as script development, media production, media communication, media
research, technical operations, setting up studios, repair and maintenance of equipment.
• To develop plans for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in education.
• To train the faculty of Institutes of Advanced Study in Education/Colleges of Teacher Education and
District Institutes of Education and Training in the use of Educational Technology in their teacher
education programmes.
• To undertake research, evaluation and monitoring of the systems, programmes and materials with a
view to improving the materials and increasing their effectiveness.
• To document and disseminate information, materials and media programmes for better utilization and
to function as a clearinghouse/agency in the field of Educational Technology.
• To advise and coordinate the academic and technical programmes and activities of the State Institutes
of Educational Technology (SIETs) set up by the MHRD in states of India.
Major Functions of CIET
• Design, develop and disseminate alternative learning systems
• Promote Educational Technology
• Train Personnel in Educational Technology
• Advise & Co-ordinate activities of SIETs
• Provide Consultancy and media support to other constituents of NCERT
SIET
Under the “INSAT for EDUCATION” project, launched in 1982, State Institute of Educational Technology
(SIETs) are being set up in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa and Uttar
Pradesh and a Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) has been established in the NCERT, with
100% central assistance, to generate educational software for children. For the proper implementation and
the developments of the potential of modem communication technology in the country, the Government has
decided to make these SIETs autonomous in order to make them more professional.
SIETs in U.P., Maharashtra, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh have already been conferred autonomous status.
However, the working of the SIETs and their output is still sub-optimal. There is a need to improve the
quality of the programmes. The New Education Policy 1986, states that in order to live the education with
the requirements of the 21st Century, there is urgently need for introduction of appropriate and feasible
technologies in the educational system. Because the modem media can provide useful support to education
related to the curriculum as well as its enrichment.
The Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC).
The Consortium for Educational Communication, popularly known as CEC, is one of the Inter University
Centres set up by the University Grants Commission of India. It has been established with the goal of
addressing the needs of Higher Education through the powerful medium of Television along with appropriate
use of emerging Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Realizing the potential and power of television to act as a means of educational knowledge dissemination,
UGC started the Countrywide Classroom Programmes in the year 1984. For production of such programmes,
Media Centres were set up at 6 Universities. Subsequently CEC emerged in 1993 as a nodal agency to
coordinate, guide & facilitate such Educational production at the National level. Today 21 Media Centres
work towards achieving this goal under the umbrella of CEC.
Objectives of CEC :
Close Coordination, facilitation, overall guidance and direction towards the activities of the Media Centres
set up by the UGC in various Universities throughout the country. Dissemination of Educational programmes
through broadcast as well as non-broadcast modes. Production of Educational programmes (Audio/Visual
and Web Based) and related support material further setting up of appropriate facilities for such production.
Research activities related to optimizing the effectiveness of such programmes. Providing a forum for the
active involvement of academic and other scholars in the creation of appropriate educational programmes.
Studying, promoting & experimenting with new technology that will increase the reach and / or effectiveness
of educational communication.
