Educational Multimedia Research Centre

About

The University Grants Commission (UGC) established the Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) and set up 21 Educational Multimedia Research Centres (Media Centres) across various universities in India. EMRC at Pondicherry University is one of its new media centres established in 2012. Prior to this, it existed as Centre for Electronic Media set up at the university during the academic year 2007-2008 and was inaugurated on 29 March 2008 by Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat, former UGC Chairman.

The Centre is currently working towards being an active contributor to creating multimodal teaching-learning resources to meet the requirements of the Ministry of Education’s Digital Education mission. To accomplish this, the EMRC is equipped with a state-of-art studio that facilitates audio and video production. It also engages in the production of educational video documentaries, animation films and e-lectures.

Realising the potential of ‘Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds’ (SWAYAM) to address the three cardinal principles of education policy viz., access, equity and quality, the EMRC at Pondicherry University produces e-content, including MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) for the Ministry of Education’s SWAYAM platform.

In addition, the EMRC plays a vital role in training educators from across the country in the creative and innovative use of pedagogies for delivery of MOOCs by working in tandem  with Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (MMTTC) at Pondicherry University. The centre regularly conducts training and capacity building workshops for faculty members nationwide, focusing on various aspects of digital education. It also trains faculty members who attend refresher courses and orientation programmes to develop microteaching modules.

Head (i/c) [Director (i/c)]

Dr. M. Shuaib Mohamed Haneef

Ph : +91-413-2654679/662
Email : director.emmrc@pondiuni.ac.in

Staff

Production Assistant

S. Balamurugan

Cameraperson

G. Sivakumar

Technician (EMRC)

Dr. M. Iyyanar

Graphic Assistant

M. Manamathi

Shooting Assistant

D. Durai Vijayan

Technical Assistant

C. Sankar

The EMRC team at Pondicherry University comprises highly experienced professionals with expertise in diverse areas such as cinematography, animation, editing and multimedia production. Their expertise in various domains of audio and video production has earned EMRC, Pondicherry University, numerous national accolades, including multiple awards at UGC-CEC Educational Video Competitions. With up-to-date technological competence and a strong creative vision, the team continues to produce educational content that stands out both for its quality and innovation.

Production Team:

  • Mr. S. Balamurugan – Production Assistant
  • Mr. G. Siva Kumar – Cameraperson
  • Dr. M. Iyyanar – Technician Electronic Media
  • Ms. M. Manamathi – Graphic Assistant
  • Mr. D. Duraivijayan – Shooting Assistant

Supporting Staff:

  • Mr. C. Sankar – Technical Assistant
  • Mr. M. Umesan – Multi-Tasking Staff
  • Mr. V. MeenakshiSundaram – Multi-Tasking Staff

EMRC at Pondicherry University is equipped with a professional studio featuring state-of-the-art audio-video equipment for high-quality e-content production and faculty training. The Centre also houses professional editing suites for audio dubbing and video editing. A distinctive feature of EMRC-PU is its Monarch 3D virtual set, which provides cutting-edge virtual production environments. This setup enhances media education by offering immersive and realistic broadcast simulations.

Recently, EMRC has upgraded itself with

  1. Camera: Sony (PXW-Z280)
  2. Viewfinder monitor: Mackie Pro FX16V3 & Blackmagic Design Video
  3. Teleprompter: SAMVAD 21 inches Teleprompter
  4. Audio Mixer: Mackie Pro FX16V3 16 Channel Professional Analog with USB
  5. Workstation: Two HP Z4 Tower G5 Business Desktop PC Workstation
  6. Copier: Canon Copier IR 2224N
EMRC at Pondicherry University is actively involved in producing SWAYAM MOOC courses as part of the MoE projects on digital education. The Centre has developed the following courses contributing to the national effort to expand access to quality higher education. Completed MOOCS:
  1. Media Laws and Ethics Dr. S. Arulselvan, Professor, Dept. of Electronic Media & Mass Communication, Pondicherry University 3 Credits – Launched on July 2021 (Rerun – July 2022)
  2. Photojournalism Dr. Radhika Khanna, Associate Professor, Dept. of Electronic Media & Mass Communication, Pondicherry University 5 Credits – Launched on July 2021 (Rerun – July 2022, 2023, 2024)
  3. Bhasha Proudyogiki ka Parichay (Hindi) Dr. C. Jaya Sankar Babu, Associate Professor, Department of Hindi, Pondicherry University 5 Credits – Launched on January 2023 (Rerun – January 2024, 2025)
  4. Marine Biotechnology Prof. V. Arul, Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Pondicherry University 4 Credits – Launched on July 2023 (Rerun – 2024)
  5. Statistical Psychology Prof. Tirupathi Rao Padi, Professor, Department of Statistics, Pondicherry University 5 Credits – Launched on July 2024
  6. Indian Foreign Policy in a Globalizing world Prof. A. Subramanyam Raju, Professor, Centre for South Asian Studies, Pondicherry University 5 Credits – Launched on January 2025
MOOCs Translation: Our centre is also involved in the translation of MOOCs into regional courses and has, thus far, translated eight courses into Tamil and one into Telugu. Tamil:
  1. Administration & Public Policy – 2021
  2. Art of C Programming – 2021
  3. Food Preservation Technology – 2021
  4. Human Rights, International Law & International Humanitarian Law – 2021
  5. Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals – 2021
  6. Design and Analysis of Algorithms – 2022
  7. Basics of Digital Marketing – 2022
  8. Indian Administration – 2022
Telugu:
  1. Personality Development – 2021
Two MOOCs have been sanctioned for production under the Other Indian Languages category.
  1. Personal Finance and Wealth Management Dr. S. Sudalai Muthu, Professor, Dept of Banking Technology, Pondicherry University
  2. Object Oriented Programming Dr. K.S. Kuppusamy & Dr. R.Sunitha Associate Professor, Dept. of Computer Science, Pondicherry University
Additionally, two new regular MOOCs have also been sanctioned and are currently under production.
  1. Media and Communication Skills Dr. M Shuaib Mohamed Haneef Professor, Department of Electronic Media and Mass Communication, Pondicherry University
  2. Hindi Bhasha Aur Sampreshan Dr. C Jaya Sankar Babu Associate Professor, Department of Hindi Pondicherry University

EMRC at Pondicherry University produces educational documentary films on a wide range of subjects. Since its inception, EMRC has produced around 60 documentaries, with many of these titles receiving numerous accolades and many of them were screened at premier festivals.

List of Documentaries: 

  1. Pondicherry University
  2. Jack Fruit
  3. Flamingos
  4. Gingee – The Troy of East
  5. Maulana Abul Kalaam Azad
  6. The Painter and the Painting
  7. The Croaking of Frog
  8. The Pied Piper
  9. Dr. Sports
  10. The Treasure trove of India
  11. The Spirit of a Dancer
  12. Natyanjali – A Festival of Dance
  13. The Modern Muni
  14. Lake Oster
  15. The Killer Dust
  16. The Bride of Aravan
  17. Porunthal Excavations
  18. Ariyular Rocks
  19. Markadarsi Siddamma
  20. The Making of Veena
  21. Darasuram Temple
  22. Gangaikondacholapuram Temple
  23. Rain Water Harvesting
  24. Silk the Queen of Fiber
  25. French Fragrance at Puducherry (UGC-CEC Best Editing Award)
  26. The Slaves of the Lamp
  27. A journey Through Music
  28. The Art of Bronze
  29. Green furniture
  30. Wish Health
  31. Probiotics – A Value of Biotech
  32. Green Wind
  33. Social awareness
  34. The Night warriors
  35. Drop out students
  36. Work is Worship
  37. Academic Staff College Documentary
  38. Finance Section Documentary
  39. Pondicherry University “An Ultimate Destination”
  40. University Anthem
  41. Stem Cell Banking
  42. Clean Water
  43. Salt
  44. Equal Opportunities (Animation)
  45. Superman (short film, Awareness film)
  46. Partner (Short Animation film, Motion Capture Technology Used)
  47. Come to School
  48. An Evergreen Revolutionary
  49. The Making of Shyam Benegal
  50. Mobile Solar
  51. Rain Water Harvesting
  52. Nano Biotics – A Hope for Cure
  53. Mithra
  54. In Search of Land of Pie
  55. Oru Malarum Mottin Payanaman (NCC)
  56. Palliative Care (Share the Pain)
  57. Organ Donation (True life)
  58. Save Heritage (Animation)
  59. The Tree (Animation)
  60. Bat Woman (The Night Warriors II)

The following list showcases the various accolades the EMRC has won over the years.<.p>

Best MOOC award for the SWAYAM course Photojournalism by Dr Radhika Khanna in 2023

20th UGC-CEC Educational Video Competition (2009-10), New Delhi
  1. The Slave of the Lamp Best Cinematography and Best Scripting award – Gouthama Avarthi and M R Veeraraj
  2. Pranthanam-Kirti-Pravannu (Save heritage for posterity) Best Animation – M. Manamathi, EMRC, PU
21st UGC-CEC Educational Video Competition (2010-11), Mysore
  1. The True Survivor (Horseshoe Crab) Best Programme of the year – J.A. Sanjeev Kumar, EMRC, PU
  2. The True Survivor (Horseshoe Crab) Best Script – Dr. Jayanth Mishra, Pondicherry University
  3. Silk – The Queen of Fibre Best Camerawork – G. Sivakumar, EMRC, PU
  4. French Fragrance at Puducherry Best Editing Editor – S. Balamurugan, Pondicherry University Cash Prize:  Rs. 25,000/-
  5. The Tree Best Programme for Animation – M. Manamathi, EMRC, PU  Cash Prize: Rs. 50,000/-
Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science and Technology – Rashtriya Vigyan Chalchitra Mela 2013, Kolkata
  1. The Night Warriors Golden Beaver Award under Popular Science categoryBalamurugan, EMRC, PU – Cash Prize: Rs. 1 Lakh
Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science and Technology – Rashtriya Vigyan Chalchitra Mela 2014, Bangalore
  1. Horse-Shoe Crab Silver Beaver Award – J.A. Sanjeev Kumar, EMRC, PU – Cash Prize: Rs. 50,000/-
  2. Mobile Solar Power Bronze Beaver Award under Science and Technology Category Balamurugan EMRC, P u- Cash Prize: Rs. 30,000/-
22nd UGC-CEC Educational Video Competition (2015 – 16), Shimla
  1. Weeds of Future Special mention in the Formative Research category – Prof. V. Arul, Department of Biotechnology, PU
Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science and Technology – 10th National Science Film Festival of India, 2020
  1. Bat Woman (The Night Warriors II) Silver Beaver Award under Interface category – S. Balamurugan, EMRC, PU Cash Prize: Rs. 1 Lakh
4th CEC-UGC Educational Film Festival on 27th April 2023
  1. Best Course prepared on ‘Photojournalism’ – Dr. Radhika Khanna, then Director i/c, EMRC and Head i/c, Department of Electronic Media and Mass Communication, PU
Screenings:   Prakriti Film Festival 2008, Pondicherry University  
  1. Gingee – The Troy of the East Documentaries screened in Prakriti Film Festival 2010, Jodhpur
  2. The Brides of Aaravan
  3. The Slaves of the Lamp
  4. The Killer Dust
Prakriti Film Festival 2011, Tripura 
  1. Margadarsi Siddama 2. The Modern Muni
Prakriti Film festival 2012, Mysore
  1. The Night Warriors
  2. Ariyalur Rocks
  3. Probiotics – ‘A Value of Biotech’
  4. The Art of Bronze
Prakriti Film Festival 2013, Calicut 
  1. Share the Pain
Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science and Technology – Rashtriya Vigyan Chalchitra Mela 2013, Kolkata
  1. Rain Water Harvesting Shortlisted for screening under Science and Technology category – M. Iyyanar
Prakriti Film Festival 2014, Kolkata 
  1. True Life
  2. Mobile Solar Power
  3. Nanobiotics – “A Hope for Cure”
  4. Rainwater Harvesting
5th International Science Film Festival of India 2019, Kolkata
  1. Bat Woman (The Night Warriors II)

All major events and academic activities of Pondicherry University are documented by EMRC. These videos are edited and published on EDUCAST Pondicherry University, the university’s official YouTube channel managed by EMRC. The channel currently hosts over 566 videos, with 2.9K subscribers and 200K+ views.

Gallery

Contact Details

Office : +91-413-2654-662