Brand Value

Its been almost a year since I began doing my Masters in Mass Communication at AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Delhi. Opting for a course I was confident of not doing has proven to have benefited me the most. This was the only University I had applied for, because of its brand name and peer pressure. I was convinced of not getting through for my entrance exam was not that great! However, destiny had other plans. I cleared the entrance test, the interview and took admissions in the one of the premiere institute for Mass communication in Asia.

My dad has been in a transferable job ever since my childhood and I have spent my life living in Bangalurru, Chennai and Mumbai. Delhi has been my longest stay so far. In all these years except for The Hindu School in Chennai, I have never been in ‘well-known’ schools. When it was time for college, I couldn’t manage to get into the Ivy league college’s thanks to my 12 examination scores. Having said that I must admit that I consider each educational institution I have been a part of to be ‘The Best’ irrespective of its standing in society. I have had the privilege to be tutored by some great teachers who have been instrumental in tapping my talent, honing it and subsequently providing me with a platform thus exposing me to newer avenues. So when I got through Jamia, I admit that I was happy, but not overjoyed. Some-where I was puzzled if I was doing the right thing by taking up the course and opting out of a job at the Economic Times. I had high expectations from my batch-mates and infrastructure of the college, which has consequently turned out as per expectations.Soon after a month of joining Jamia, I understood what I would have missed had I left out on this opportunity. All my peers congratulating me, my teachers(ex-students of the same institute) assuring me about my right decision still flash my senses.

On the other hand, it is equally interesting to recall how people (read HINDU neighbours) reacted to this. “Isn’t it a Muslim University?”” Will you be comfortable amidst such a restrictive environment?”; “Won’t it be difficult for you to mingle with the crowd there?” In spite of my constant re-assurance that MCRC(as we fondly call it) is a ‘modern’ institute admitting even non-muslim students and giving them all the freedom that they would otherwise crave for, they would remain doubtful. Finally I had no choice but to say what I hate saying the most “Barkha Dutt, Kiran Rao, Harsh Chhaya, Roshan Abbas, Shah-Rukh Khan are all from my college” It worked and hmm…. suddenly Jamia regained its respect in their eyes.

What irks me the most is -Why is it that the success of students becomes the only yardstick to judge the standard of an educational institution? Why do people fail to recognize the worth of the institution minus the starry glamour of students? My school in Delhi-‘Delhi Kannada School’ may not have produced politicians, actors or CEO’s for that matter! But yes it has produced students who have the will and motivation to work hard in any given work-place, to stand up for truth and honesty. I therefore see no reason why I shouldn’t celebrate having belonged to an institution which has produced Mr. Sunil Khurana, Dr. Indira, Mr. Venkatesh, Ms Mandal and many others who are shining in the corporate world, healing their patients, fighting against injustice or simply teaching?.

I have witnessed parents cry foul over the teaching methods adopted in so called ‘reputed’ schools. What parents don’t realise is that a good school is not just about its fancy building, plush flooring, or its huge area!. Its more about the teachers and their teaching methods. I am not saying that all ‘reputed schools are bad’. Of course not!. Had this been the case they wouldn’t have attained that status in the first place. But I feel its high time that we look beyond the glitz and glamour quotient and acknowledge what really matters!